Kill Your Darlings
by Caroline Spencer
Summary: After the events of the summer, Sebastian thought he knew what game he was playing, but it turns out he couldn't be more wrong. Now, he's not only dealing with one lethal opponent but two. And these girls play to win. K/A, K/S, A/S, K/A/S
1. Prologue

**Kill Your Darlings**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

_Rating: Adult_

_Summary: After the events of the summer, Sebastian thought he knew what game he was playing but it turns out, he couldn't be more wrong. Now, he's not only dealing with one lethal opponent but two. And these girls play to win._

_Author's note: So this one's a little different then my usual deal. It's not strictly a Kathryn/Sebastian story. It's Kathryn/Annette. Kathryn/Sebastian. Sebastian/Annette. Kathryn/Sebastian/Annette_

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**Prologue**

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Fuck, she was bored.

Leaning over the mahogany railing that overlooked Manchester Prep's great hall, Kathryn observed the room like a queen looking out over her kingdom. It was Orientation weekend, two months before school was officially in session, and the hall was bustling with nervous freshman, overeager parents, and disenchanted faculty, annoyed at having to cut their vacation short in order to kiss up to parents for donation money.

Kathryn felt their pain. As she was the current student body president (soon to be re-elected) her attendance that afternoon was mandatory. Up until a week ago she had the perfect excuse to get out of it: a month-long excursion to Greece, but that had fallen through thanks to her ex and his wandering penis.

Court fucking Reynolds.

Just thinking his name, she found herself clutching her glass of gin and tonic so tightly it threatened to shatter. The asshole had the nerve to dump her a week before they were to depart. And why? For some gangly sophomore who never had a dick inside her. Story of her fucking life.

"_She's like twelve!" _

"_She's fifteen and she's very mature for her age."_

_No. No she wasn't. Kathryn had met Cecile Caldwell twice before and of the many colorful adjectives she could use to describe her, mature wasn't one of them. _

"_Are you out of your fucking mind?"_

"_She's sweet! And kind and – _

"_A virgin! Is that what this is about? Jesus Court, if you're looking to scratch that particular itch, take care of it after we get back from Greece. Discreetly."_

"_I don't want to take care of it," he yelled, startling her. "Don't you get it Kathryn? This is over with. Look we had fun, but I'm in love with her."_

"_In love? Grow up Court, it's called hormones."_

"_It's called love, not that I would expect you to know anything about that. Have you ever loved anyone outside of yourself Kathryn? Of course not. You don't have a fucking clue what it's like to care for someone else. You know I almost feel sorry for you. To be that dead inside…it's pathetic really."_

"_I'm pathetic?" she sneered. "I'm not the one panting over some sophomore piece of ass."_

"_Give it up Kathryn. I choose her and who could blame me? You're an oversexed headcase with no heart."_

Recalling the memory something unpleasant settled in her stomach. It wasn't shame exactly. After all she had nothing to feel ashamed about. (So she enjoyed sex and power, that didn't make her some kind of monster. Fuck, if she was a man she would be celebrated.) It wasn't heartbreak either. Court was just a prop, a toy, a perfect ken doll to complete her Marsha Brady image.

No, if she was being honest with herself it was the fact that Court wasn't the first boy to dump her for the same fill-in-the-blank reason. She was too confident. Too Sexy. Too complicated. Too much. They all wanted someone simpler. Someone loveable. Kathryn was many things, but _loveable_ wasn't one of them.

She might not have cared for Court, but she'd be damned if she allowed him to cast her aside so ruthlessly and walk away. People were already starting to whisper about their untimely breakup and that wouldn't be tolerated. Severe action had to be taken. She couldn't go after Court directly, it was too obvious. If there was an attack on Court, it could be traced back to her and she couldn't allow that to happen. Everybody loved her.

She'd have to go after the girl.

Cecile Caldwell. Christ, could he have found a more embarrassing replacement for her? The thing of it was, she could understand Court dumping her for someone hotter, more fuckable, but Cecile? That was just embarrassing. She was all gangly limbs and big dumb puppy eyes and no tits. The very least he could have done was dump her for some big tits.

Of course the trap had been laid weeks ago. With Kathryn being Upper East Side royalty, Cecile's social climbing mommy Bunny had all but dropped to her knees and licked her cunt she was _so pleased_ to meet her. The Caldwell's were totally new money and it showed. Cecile, gawky and unsure just gazed at her in awe, asking one inappropriate question after another. Kathryn had been all smiles, remarking how much Cecile reminded her of herself at that age—a whopper of a lie as she was already balls deep in cocaine and cock by Freshman year.

When she offered to take Cecile under her wing, Mrs. Caldwell had practically creamed her panties she was so excited. Kathryn would give it another week or so of careful cultivation, build up the young girl's trust, have her relying on her completely and then she would introduce her to Sebastian. It wasn't as if her darling brother had anything else going on that summer, unless you count screwing his therapist's daughter. Cecile would make a nice pallet cleanser. When he got done fucking the innocence out of her, Cecile would be the biggest debutant slut on the Upper East Side. Something told her Court wouldn't be so 'in love' once he realized his little virgin princess was damaged goods.

Kathryn watched from her perch as Cecile followed after her mother, gnawing on the ends of her hair, looking impossibly bored. She was so helpless she almost felt sorry for her. It was true little Cecile was completely ignorant of the fact that she had inadvertently stolen something that didn't belong to her. Having been away at convent school last year she was completely in the dark about Kathryn's relationship with Court. It didn't matter. If she had to sacrifice Cecile's innocence on the altar of her vengeance so be it.

As if sensing she was being watched, Cecile looked up and spotted her. Immediately her face broke out in a dopey grin and she waved. Kathryn smiled back. Bunny, obliviously chasing after some faculty member, impatiently tugged her daughter along.

Kathryn sighed, her boredom returning. There was a small part of her that wished Cecile was a legitimate opponent, that she could provide an actual challenge for Kathryn to test her meddle against. Alas, she knew she could ruin the little bitch with her eyes closed. C'est la vie.

"Kathryn!"

_God fucking dammit_. Kathryn winced and cursed her luck. Forcing a big smile, she turned and exclaimed with equal enthusiasm, "Aunt Helen!"

The older woman, chicly dressed in vintage Yves St. Laurent, stepped forward to drop a kiss on her cheek and tug her into a hug. "I'm so glad to see you," Kathryn cooed, with false sweetness while rolling her eyes over her shoulder.

A relative strictly by marriage, Helen Rosemond was Sebastian's great aunt. Widowed for nearly a decade, she spent most of her time at her massive estate on Long Island, volunteering for various charities she sponsored and of course lavishing copious amounts of attention and money on Manchester, her old alma mater. Not only were there at least three building's that bared her name, but she sat on the school board as well. All of this of course explained how her degenerate stepbrother managed to stay enrolled despite his many illegal transgressions.

Helen was harmless enough, she just found her so dreadfully dull. Not to mention she had an annoying habit of asking the most irritating questions at exactly the wrong time. Case in point:

"Dear, I wasn't expecting you here today. I thought you were on holiday in Greece?"

Kathryn flinched at the inquiry, but otherwise kept her cool. "There was a change of plans. Garrett wanted Court to stay in town to help with his re-election bid. You know, family comes first."

"Of course," she replied gently touching her hand. Kathryn wondered if she suspected she was full of shit. "Well I'm happy to see you. Is Sebastian here?"

"No, unfortunately he had some business in the city."

"Oh?"

"He's volunteering with a children's charity." Otherwise known as tutoring baby sluts on the finer points of blow job etiquette. The Carlton twins would be getting quite an education today.

"Such a sweet boy," the older woman cooed with obvious affection. Sebastian, not surprisingly, was her favorite.

"Uh huh"

"So tell me dear, have you met the new headmaster yet?"

"Briefly." Her gaze drifted across the room to the middle-aged man currently holding court with some faculty and student council members. Kathryn hadn't been readily impressed. The man stank of middle America wholesomeness. He was not unattractive, but not nearly charismatic enough to fuck with. Plus, word around campus was he was deeply religious. Pass.

"Oh, he's a wonderful man," Helen praised. "So intelligent and kind. I think he's going to do so much good for Manchester."

"I look forward to working with him." Assuming he last past the first semester which Kathryn doubted. Manchester was known to chew up and spit out it's headmasters at a rate of one a year. She imagined it was only a matter of time before Headmaster Hargrove was back to teaching at whatever fly over state he came from.

"His daughter Annette will be staying with me for the rest of the summer while he sells their house back in Kansas. She's a lovely young woman. I suspect the two of you will be fast friends."

Kathryn inwardly cringed. She could just imagine the wholesome little nightmare that bland man's loins produced. Likely so boring she wasn't even worth corrupting.

As they descended the stairs, Helen continued to yammer in her ear about Hargrove and his boring daughter, but Kathryn found herself tuning her out when something appetizing across the room caught her attention.

_Well, hello beautiful. _

It was a girl about her age, with shoulder length blond hair and big guileless blue eyes, standing amongst a small gaggle of fellow newbie students. Kathryn couldn't be sure what drew her towards her. She was beautiful naturally, but there were plenty of beautiful girls in that room. She wasn't particularly sexy, although there was something to be said about the white dress she was wearing that somehow managed to look both innocent and dangerously inviting all at once. Virginal and innocent weren't usually her speed, she left that sort of thing to Sebastian, but none the less she felt herself inexplicably drawn to her.

It was her confidence she realized. She practically radiated with it. While everyone else around her looked like petrified rabbits, awkward and unsure, she was grace personified. The way she held herself, the way she moved, Kathryn at once felt deep admiration and bitter envy.

Without warning, the blonde glanced her way and their eyes locked. Kathryn paused. The girl looked at her as if she could see right through her. When she smiled, easy and natural, Kathryn suddenly found it difficult to swallow.

_Huh_.

"Oh, there's Annette now," Aunt Helen chimed, her voice cutting through her thoughts like a short-wave radio.

Kathryn turned to her. "_That's_ Annette?"

It took her a moment to reconcile the fact that the goody-goody headmaster's daughter and the luminous creature in front of her were one in the same. Perhaps she had underestimated old Hargrove's loins after all.

"Would you like to meet her?" Helen asked, already guiding her over.

Suddenly all thoughts of Court and the Caldwell's and her ruined summer plans fell to the way side. There was a new challenge on the horizon.

Kathryn smiled serenely at her aunt. "Yes, I think I would like that very much."


	2. The Morning After

**Chapter 1: ****The Morning After**

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_"Illusions, of course, are by their nature sweet"_

– Marquise de Merteuil, Dangerous Liaisons

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**_~ 7 Weeks Later ~_**

This wasn't the first time Sebastian had passed out in Central Park. It wasn't even the second. At least this time he had a proper excuse. And he was wearing pants.

This came as small comfort to him when he arose to the sound of someone taking a piss beside him. Blurry eyed, Sebastian looked up to find a homeless man relieving himself dangerously close to his head. Suddenly alert, he jerked back violently to avoid the spray.

"Morning!" the man cheerfully greeted him with a toothless smile.

"Jesus Christ."

Falling asleep on the rock formation that bordered Central Park West was most definitely one of his more idiotic decisions. And that was saying something given recent events. Sebastian's body immediately reacted in protest at he hopped off the ledge, his knees nearly giving out on the way down. He rolled his shoulders trying to dislodge the knots, but it was no use. He was going to need a good two hours with his masseuse to remove them.

Rubbing the sleep off his face he took in his surroundings. It was a typical Monday on the Upper West Side. Gridlock up by the museum, nannies with strollers hurriedly pushing their charges to baby yoga or whatever, little old ladies walking their tiny dogs. Sebastian took it all in with dead, emotionless eyes, his foggy brain trying to remember what he was doing there. It only took one glance at the apartment building across the street and it all came back to him.

_Annette_.

God, he had really made a mess of things. True, that was sort of his _raison d'etre_, but he had really out done himself this time. What he had done to Annette was beyond fucked up and he wasn't all together sure there was any undoing it.

Last night as he watched her building, hoping to see a peak of her from her window like some perv stalker, Sebastian fantasized about what he would say to her if she ever agreed to talk to him again. He knew if Annette would just give him a few minutes he could make her see that they were meant to be together.

Which yes, is realized was basically the stalker motto.

Sebastian wondered if he had miscalculated giving her his journal. In hindsight he recognized it as a rather impulsive decision brought on not only by his desire to win Annette back, but also to stick it the bitch who brought him to his knees. It seemed romantic and honest and shit, didn't girls like that kind of thing_?_ But now, as he ruminated on it, perhaps it was a little _too_ honest. Maybe he should have toned it down a little or cut out some of his more colorful escapades. She didn't need to know about the shit he pulled on that duchess or the specifics of what he did to the school nurse or all the many depraved ways he wanted to defile his stepsister. Thinking back on it he probably looked like some sort of psychopath.

Not exactly the things dreams are made of.

"Shit." Sebastian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Yeah, he definitely fucked this up.

To top it off he was a damn mess. His Tom Ford frock coat was filthy thanks to his all too convincing impression of a homeless person he'd performed last night and he was in desperate need of a shower. He considered walking home only to remember what was likely awaiting him if he did.

_You're just a toy Sebastian. A little toy I like to play with._

Kathryn's cruel words and mocking grin played over in his mind like some kind of fucked up horror movie. He honestly never saw it coming. Sebastian always thought he knew what she was capable of, but it turns out he hadn't a god damn clue.

With the memory of their last encounter still raw like a puckered wound, the last thing he felt like doing was heading home and going another round with her. Besides, the bitch would likely laugh herself silly if she found out how he'd spent the night. No thank you.

Instead he'd go with his original plan for the day. Last night, when he still thought his big gesture would send Annette running into his arms, Sebastian planned to whisk her away to the Valmont compound on Martha's Vineyard for the rest of the summer. It was beautiful, quiet and best of all, secluded. No one to bother them. Unfortunately, it didn't look like that was going to happen, so he'd have to go it alone. It was kind of a depressing thought, but it seemed like a much better option then spending the rest of the summer in the city, dodging his stepsister and all the questions his absence from the summer debutante circuit were sure to elicit.

In desperate need of some sleep, Sebastian decided to head over to his fuck pad at the Four Seasons. He gave one last lingering glance to the apartment building as he left. He got as far as the end of the block when he got a text. Sebastian froze when he saw who it was from. Annette.

_**Can we talk?**_

Sebastian's heart stopped and for a moment he forgot how to text. Getting his shit together he quickly replied.

_**Yes please. I have so much I need to tell you.**_

He sounded desperate, but whatever he _was_ desperate. Annette quickly replied back.

_**Come upstairs**_

Upon reading that his face broke out into the most idiotic grin, the kind of smile he usually only indulged in when he was very, very drunk. Sebastian had to contain himself from fist punching the air in exhilaration. He didn't of course. He might be a man in love, but he wasn't a complete fucking loser.

Dashing across Central Park West, his head was so far up in the clouds he wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to his surroundings, so he didn't notice the taxi until it came barreling into him. Sebastian liked to think he slid across that hood like some kind of action star, but in reality, he just looked like an uncoordinated spaz, landing on the pavement in an inelegant heap. It took him a second to realize that he was fine, all major limbs and arteries still attached. Scrambling to his feet he sprinted into the apartment building, paying little mind to the driver cursing him out in Arabic as he did.

The doorman let him in and Sebastian all but ran to the bank of elevators. As he frantically punched the buttons (earning a scowl of disapproval from the middle aged lady manning the front desk) he tried to calm himself down and considered what he might say to her.

Sebastian was well aware that a future with Annette wouldn't be easy. Kathryn might have been fucking with his head, but she hadn't been entirely off base with her assertions that his life would irrevocably change if he pursued a relationship with the headmaster's daughter. They both stood to lose a lot if they went forward with this thing. He knew a future with Annette would require giving up a part of himself that was ugly, but nevertheless integral. Could he do that he wondered. Could he change who he was and become the man Annette deserved?

As Sebastian stepped into the elevator and the steel plated doors shut in front of him, he knew with an odd sort of certainty that he could. He would do anything to be with her, _become_ anyone he had to. Annette was worth it. If there was even a sliver of hope that she wanted to be with him even a fraction of how much he wanted to be with her, he'd be crazy to not fight like hell for her.

Feeling newly invigorated, he marched out of the elevator and to the same doorway he darkened not eight hours earlier. Ringing the doorbell, Sebastian prayed Annette's friends' mother wouldn't answer it. She hadn't been particularly inviting to him last night, not to mention he couldn't remember her name.

He needn't worry. The door opened and Annette was there to greet him with a warm, if guarded smile. Sebastian's heart leapt in his chest at the sight of her. She was dressed in all white, her blonde hair framing her beautiful heart shaped face almost angelically. "Hey," she greeted him tentatively. "Come in."

"Thanks." Sebastian followed her into an elegant main room. He tried to focus on her friends bland decor rather than her exquisite ass. "You look beautiful."

Annette shot him one of the those looks she used to give him when she thought he was full of shit. "I'm a mess," she stated bluntly. "I didn't sleep well last night."

Sebastian winced knowing he was likely the reason for that. "I'm sorry. If it helps any, I slept like shit too."

"I know," she revealed, a slight smirk fighting its way across her face. "I saw you across the street. I wanted to invite you in, but I wasn't sure how Mrs. Michalak would take it."

"Yeah, um, I'm afraid I didn't make the greatest impression last night."

"It's okay, it gave her something to talk about at her party. She's gone for the rest of the afternoon by the way, so you don't have to whisper."

Sebastian nodded. Suddenly feeling awkward and unsure of himself, easily a first, he began to stroll about the room, pretending to examine, Mrs. Michalak's bookcase and limited art collection. He was very conscious of Annette's steady breathing in the background. He wondered if she was as nervous as he was. Finally, he spoke, striving for nonchalance. "So, did you get my letter?"

"Yeah, I did. It was beautiful Sebastian."

His fingers paused on the paperweight he had been toying with and he looked across the room at her. Annette smiled softly, genuinely. Pleased he hadn't made a complete ass out of himself and realizing their still might be some hope he asked, "And the journal?"

Her smile faltered, her gaze falling away from him. Sebastian slowly approached her. "Annette, I know it's a lot to take in—"

"That's one way of putting it." He paused, taken aback by the uncharacteristic bitterness in her tone. "So, I was just a fucking bet, huh?"

"No!" Sebastian quickly closed the distance between them. He attempted to pull her into his arms, but she wrenched away. He immediately flashed back to their last encounter and that well deserved slap she gave him. Fearful of repeating his past mistakes he quickly tried to explain himself. "Annette I'm so sorry, but I wanted you to know the truth even if it made you hate me. I know what I did to you was unspeakably cruel and I've given you no reason to believe me, but you must know, from the bottom of my heart _I love you_ and if I have to spend the rest of my life making it up to you I will."

She shook her head. "I don't think this is something you can make up Sebastian. You lied to me. Repeatedly. You made me think you honestly loved me."

"I do love you!"

"Sebastian," she sighed shaking her head and crossing her arms to her chest. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

Worried he was losing ground he decided to go with brutal honestly. "Look you're right, I did lie to you and you know at first it was all bullshit. I just wanted to win that stupid bet. I thought I was so fucking slick, but the truth is you got under my skin Annette, you made me realize how ridiculous and empty my life was. If you had any idea of the emotional shit storm I've been dealing with these past few weeks you'd laugh yourself silly."

"Would I?"

He nodded. "You've completely upended my world Annette. Even if you tell me you can't see me anymore and you'll never forgive me, I can't go back to the guy I used to be. He's gone. He disappeared when I fell in love with you."

Her arms fell to her sides and Sebastian took that as a sign that her walls were starting to come down as well. "Sebastian, I want to believe you, but I don't know if I can…"

Stepping towards her he cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Do you love me?"

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Then that's all that matters. Don't give up on this Annette." Before she could respond he kissed her with everything that was in him. He could feel her resolve start to melt when she kissed him back. It didn't last long.

"I can't." She squirmed out of his embrace. "I can't do this."

Refusing to let go, Sebastian tugged her back. "But you want to."

"Yes!" she admitted, wiping at her wet eyes. "Yes, I want you. Look at you, of course I do! You're beautiful and smart and charming. But I can't…I can't trust you Sebastian."

They hit a stalemate then, with Sebastian at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed. She was right, there was no earthly reason for her to trust him, but he wanted to try and wasn't that enough? He was about to say as much when she asked, "What about your sister Sebastian? What about Kathryn?"

He winced at the sound of her name passing her lips. It felt unnatural and wrong. "What about her?"

"Is she…is she the girl you mentioned? The one you said you were in love with?"

"Yes," he replied before realizing what he was saying. "I mean NO! I mean yes, she was the girl I was referring to but, I'm not in love with her. I never was. It was just games and bullshit between us that's all. Kathryn means nothing to me, less than nothing."

Annette eyed him wearily as if she didn't quite believe him. "You wrote about her. A lot. I mean she's your sister Sebastian and you wanted to…" she trailed off making a face.

"I know it's twisted and I have no excuse, but I—"

"You can put it anywhere?" Annette interrupted, "What does that even mean?"

Sebastian inhaled sharply realizing he had to tread carefully. "Um, it means I could…have sex with her in…"

He left it there hoping she'd get the hint. Her beautiful face scrunched up in confusion for a beat until the realization dawned on her. Those big blue eyes of her went impossibly wide and her complexion turned three different shades of red. "Oh my god!" she sputtered. "Ew! Oh my god."

"I'm not proud of myself."

"I would hope not!"

Wanting desperately to turn the conversation in a new direction, that _didn't_ involve him sodomizing his stepsister, Sebastian told her, "Kathryn doesn't matter anymore. I'm done with her and that whole fucked up life. Do you think we could start again?"

"I don't know Sebastian. I think I need a little time."

Hearing that he momentarily panicked. Sebastian had never been particularly good at patience and the idea of waiting around for her to forgive him sounded like torture. Honestly, it was the only reason he could account for what he did next.

"Annette, please give me a second chance!" Sebastian dropped to his knees in front of her and threw his arms around her waist. "Please! I'm an asshole and I'm selfish and if I was a better man, I'd let you go but I can't!"

"Sebastian," Annette sighed, resting her hands gently on his shoulders. "Get up."

He shook his head. "Not until you say you forgive me."

A smile threatened to break out over her face as she looked up at the ceiling and sighed in exasperation, "You're ridiculous."

"Yes, I think we established that."

Cupping his face, she laughed, the earlier tension disappearing. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Marry me?" He was only half joking.

Annette sputtered out a laugh. "What?! I'm not marrying you weirdo."

He looked up at her hurt. "Why not?"

"You mean aside from the fact that you turned my virginity into a sporting event? Um, how about that we're still in high school."

"Semantics. You said it yourself, I'm good looking and charming, but you forgot I'm also very rich. You'll want for nothing and I promise I'll spend the rest of my days making you happy."

Annette rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I'm not marrying you Sebastian."

"Then will you forgive me?"

"Are those my only two options?" Tilting her head her eyes searched his face as if she was looking for something. Finally, she let out a long sigh. "I must be insane."

Before he could question what she meant, Annette leaned down and kissed him. Sebastian, stumbling to his feet, kissed her back, nearly knocking her over with his enthusiasm. Annette broke away laughing. "I can't believe you proposed."

"I meant it."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Come on let's go back to my room. I'd rather not give the maid something to talk about."

He nodded and followed her back to her guest bedroom. As they walked his hands found their way to her waist and his mouth trailed teasing kisses down her neck. Annette giggled. "Sebastian behave."

"I wish I could, but you're too irresistible."

They paused outside the door, Annette turning in his arms to kiss him. Sebastian melt into her embrace, his whole body practically quivering in excitement. _This is it_, he realized, _this is happiness_. After years of searching for it in all the wrong things and all the wrong people, here it was, wrapped up in one perfect, beautiful girl.

Breaking away Annette murmured against his mouth, "I have a surprise for you."

"You do?" He slipped a hand up the back of her shirt and tugged teasingly at her bra.

"Yes, but," she pulled at his roving hands. "First I have to ask you something."

Sebastian stopped pawing her when he heard the seriousness creep into her tone. Stepping back, he kept his arms wrapped around her waist. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied with a brief, reassuring shake of her head, "But I need to know something and I need you to be completely honest with me."

"Of course."

_Shit_. He didn't like the sound of that. Sebastian was still new to the whole 'honesty' racket. He shuddered to think what she might ask.

"Sebastian, tell me the truth, did you have sex with Kathryn?"

"What? No!" He let out a short laugh, which was really just a cover to hide his exhale of relief that he wouldn't have to lie to her again. "Annette, I swear we never had sex."

She smiled and seemed to sag against him in relief. Sebastian hugged her close, breathing in her scent.

"That's a shame," Annette murmured against his ear. "She's a fucking incredible lay."

Sebastian paused. It took him a moment to process the remark and even then, he was sure he had heard her correctly. Drawing back, he took in her face. Annette was smiling, but it wasn't any sort of smile he had ever seen her use before. It was a smirk and it was eerily familiar.

"What?" He waited for the punchline as dread filled his stomach.

Annette stepped out of his embrace and threw open the door. There on the messy four poster bed sat Kathryn. She was wearing Annette's teal satin pajama top and a shit eating grin. In her hand was his most prized possession: his journal.

"Hello dear brother," she purred, malice dripping with every syllable. "Sleep well?"

Everything went fuzzy and for a moment he thought he might actually pass out.

_This can't be happening. _

_She couldn't_

_She wouldn't_

_Then again…_

_You're just a toy Sebastian…a little toy I like to play with_

Sebastian stormed into the bedroom. "What the hell are you doing here Kathryn?"

Slinking off the bed, she tossed his journal carelessly aside. "Just catching up on some light reading and you know, fucking your girlfriend."

"Excuse me?"

Annette came over to her and slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her close. Sebastian's eyes glazed over as if his brain couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. "Annette, what are you…"

She looked back at him with an expression of mock pity. "Oh dear, I don't think he saw this coming."

"They never do."

Kathryn reached over and pulled Annette into an extravagant kiss. He half expected the blonde to push her away, tell him this was all some sick joke to pay him back before stammering an apology. But she didn't do any of that. Instead, she kissed Kathryn back with a passion he frankly didn't think she was capable of. One hand aggressively threaded through his stepsister's mahogany locks, while the other tugged sharply, possessively at her waist. There was something so animalistic about it. Annette kissed her like she was _claiming_ her.

He might have thought it was hot had she not been decimating his heart in the process.

When they broke apart, lips red and raw, eyes wide and charged, it took them a moment to realize he was there. Annette looked over at him and Sebastian studied her face, looking for the women he loved but she wasn't there. The girl looking back at him was a stranger.

It was then the realization finally hit him. He had been played.

"What's the matter Sebastian?" Annette taunted. "Cat got your tongue?"

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A/N: Couple things to note. This story is part one in what will be a four part series. The good news? I've actually finished part one and I'm in the process of editing it. So yes at the very least this story will not be abandoned. A new chapter will be posted the 10th, 20th, and 30th of every month (the 29th of this month). I hope you enjoy it, it's different from what I've written in the past but it's been fun to write. let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


	3. The Hero of this Story

**A/N: The deleted scene in the film of Sebastian hitting Kathryn and them declaring war is considered canon in this story. PS-it shouldn't have been deleted in the first place. It was one of the best scenes in the film!**

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**Chapter 2: The Hero of this Story**

* * *

For the life of her, Annette could never understand the appeal of Sebastian Valmont.

Don't get it twisted, she had eyes and she also wasn't so far right on the bi spectrum that she didn't realize how attractive he was. Personally, he was a little pretty for her tastes, but that didn't negate the fact that Sebastian was indeed a hottie. He was also impeccably well-groomed for a teenage boy. And yeah, if she was being generous, she might not call him a _total_ moron.

So, to recap, he was an attractive, well-groomed half-wit. She might as well have just described her grandmother's schnauzer.

Some other characteristics he shared with Pepper? They were both needy, spoiled and obnoxious. And oh yeah, she had about as much desire to fuck Sebastian as she did that damn dog. At least grandma Ruth had the good sense to get Pepper fixed when he started humping the furniture. It was a pity someone hadn't performed a similar mercy on Valmont. All this bullshit might have been avoided otherwise.

Then again, she'd hate to have to part with the memory of the stupefied look on the pretty boy's face when he opened the door and found his sister in her bed. There were few things in life Annette enjoyed as much as a good comeuppance. Especially when it was delivered by her own hand.

"What's the matter Sebastian? Cat got your tongue?" She thought it was a pretty good play on words, but he just continued to stand there gaping at them, unblinking. Maybe he had a stroke.

"He looks confused," Kathryn observed.

"Poor baby. Should we clear things up for him?" She leaned in and kissed Kathryn again, this time with more porno tongue. The brunette melted into her embrace, moaning theatrically against her mouth before reaching around to squeeze her ass.

Sebastian just stood their gawking, either because he was too shocked to respond or maybe because he was a horny teenage boy. It was probably a little of both. After a good solid ten seconds of watching them make out, he finally exploded.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Ripping them apart he demanded, "What the hell is going on?! How did you…when did you…"

"Come on Sebastian, use your words," Kathryn mocked.

"FUCK. YOU," he snarled, suddenly advancing on his sister like he was going to throttle her. Grabbing her arm aggressively, he demanded, "What the fuck have you done this time?"

Anger seized Annette when she thought he might get violent with her. Last night, after Kathryn revealed Sebastian hit her, a small part of her thought she might have been lying. God knows, her girl was an untrustworthy bitch, but watching him now, seeing the fury in his eyes, she knew it was true. Digging her nails into his arm, Annette shoved him off. "Take your fucking hands off her."

Sebastian regarded her with shock as he momentarily forgot his stepsister and turned his attentions back on her.

"Annette," he exclaimed, voice shaking and threatening to break as he clutched her tightly by the shoulders. "You have to listen to me. I-I don't know what's going on, what game she's playing." He shot a hateful glance at his sister before continuing, "She's manipulating you. This is just another of her sick games. Please, Annette, this isn't you."

"It isn't?" she asked, letting her tone soften, her eyes go wide.

"No!" he exclaimed, delirious in his desperation to get through to her. "All she cares about is power games and her goddamn reputation. That's not you! You're real and honest. You care about people, you care about me! Please Annette, I love you."

Had she not loathed the very sight of him, Annette might have felt sorry for Valmont in that moment. He was so very pathetic, practically begging her to deny what was so obviously true. She wasn't the girl he fell in love with. That girl was a carefully crafted fairy tale.

"Let go of me," she ordered calmly. When he didn't comply, she gave him a gruff push. Sebastian stumbled back eyes wide in surprise. Annette gave a rueful shake of her head. "Christ you're pitiful. You think you know me Sebastian? You don't know shit. That girl you fell for, the sweet little mid-western virgin who fell for all your bullshit: _she doesn't exist_."

"No-no you're wrong. I fell in love with her. She fell in love with me. It was real goddammit!" Shaking his head, he whimpered, "You-you said—"

"What that I love you? Come on Sebastian, are you honestly going to stand there and pretend you haven't lied to a girl to get her to do what you wanted? I don't think so." Annette's voice rose as she exclaimed, "I'd think you of all people would enjoy the bitter irony! The master seducer brought to his knees by the first girl he ever loved only to discover _she was playing him the whole time_. I mean that's kind of delicious don't you think?"

"I certainly do," Kathryn spoke up, her gaze hard on her stepbrother.

"You fucking bitch," he hissed, totally broken. "This was all your doing wasn't it?"

Kathryn shrugged as she casually slid up beside Annette, letting her arms snake around her waist and tug her close "As much as I'd love to take sole credit I can't."

"Silly rabbit," Annette cooed, letting herself melt against Kathryn. "Don't you get it? You were _our_ toy, but this was _my_ game."

Appearing on the verge of tears, he swallowed thickly as he choked out, "You've been playing me from the beginning, both of you."

"He finally gets it," Kathryn affirmed.

"Why?" he growled.

Annette stepped towards him, until she was mere inches away and answered with a knowing smirk, "Because we could."

Letting him stew on that she broke away from the stepsiblings to make herself a drink. She poured out some whiskey that had been idling on the bedside table and took a long sip, reveling in the slow burn. When she turned around, she found them locked in silent battle. They looked like they wanted to murder each other but Annette knew different. If this summer had taught her anything, it was that when it came to Valmont and Merteuil, looks could be deceiving.

Outside of one illuminating episode, this had been the first time she'd actually witnessed the stepsiblings interact with one another. It was something to behold alright, all that violent electricity, the seething hatred and everything that burned underneath it. Annette wasn't all too sure she liked it. If fact she suddenly wished Sebastian would just leave them, but she knew he wouldn't. Not without some answers at least.

Reminding herself that this was supposed to be the fun part, Annette asked in a bored drawl, "Well do you want the story or not?"

Her voice seemed to break them out of their silent standoff. Turning around Kathryn sauntered up to her, still clutching that damn journal and removed the glass from her hand, downing most of it before spreading herself out on the messy bed they'd fucked in not a half an hour ago. Her satin night shirt (Annette's satin nightshirt) rode high up on her thighs, her black lace panties peeking out provocatively as she made herself comfortable. Annette found herself momentarily distracted by the display. _Such a fucking tease_.

Glancing over at Sebastian she found him staring as well and Annette wondered which one of them she was performing for. Probably both she decided. After all there was nothing Kathryn enjoyed more than being desired.

"Baby, can you make me a drink," she purred sweet as pie.

Annette refilled her glass of Jim Beam and handed it over, letting her fingers graze her wrist teasingly as she did. Her mind was suddenly rabid with everything she wanted to do to her. Kathryn grinned as if reading her thoughts. "Thanks."

After a moment Sebastian's patients finally wore thin. "Stop eye fucking her and start talking," he ordered, no longer sounding like he was going to shatter in two.

Annette took the lead.

"Kathryn and I met during orientation," Annette explained, gaze still on her partner in crime. "We found he shared many of the same…qualities."

"Like you're both heartless bitches?" Sebastian spat.

"Something like that. Anyway, we were having a good time, getting to know each other—

"Fucking our brains out," Kathryn happily supplied with a taunting grin.

"But then you two went and made that fucking bet."

"You remember brother dear, the one _you_ suggested."

"So, you see you didn't really leave me any choice but to defend myself," Annette argued. "We were just going to take your car, but after spending some time with you I knew it wouldn't be nearly enough. You needed to be taught a lesson. That toxic masculinity of yours has been allowed to go unchecked for far too long."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he exclaimed sneering in disgust. "Are you seriously trying to frame this as some feminist bullshit statement?"

Ignoring him Kathryn continued. "I asked Annette to just string you along so I could win the bet, but then she got it in her head that she could make you fall for her for real. Truth be told I didn't think she could pull it off, so we made a little bet of our own. Sad to say you weren't the only one who underestimated her." Taking a long pull of her drink she looked over at Annette admiringly and added, "She's just full of surprises."

This of course was the cliff notes version of what went down that summer. What they were conveniently leaving out was all the jealousy and bullshit and gameplaying that had been going on under Sebastian's oblivious nose the whole time. Yes, they had fucked each other raw and had the time of their lives, but it wasn't all unicorns and rainbows. Not by a fucking long shot.

"No, no I don't buy it," Sebastian argued, his voice doing that trembling thing when it sounds like he's about to cry. "You loved me. I know you did, I felt it. You can't fake that kind of thing."

Annette rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, grow up Valmont, of course you can." She let her eyes fill with tears and made her bottom lip quiver. "_I just wanted to see what you were like in bed_," she echoed his same pathetic words he whimpered to her in this same room just the other day. "_You mean nothing to me. You were…you were just a conquest_!"

Sebastian stared back at her completely slack jawed, while Kathryn watched in awe. "I think I just came," she gasped. "God you're good."

Annette shrugged, whipping her eyes. "It's called acting, a monkey can be trained to do it." Take her glass back from Kathryn she took a swing dadding, "And P.S. Sebastian, that wasn't the only thing I faked."

He looked like he was going to be ill. "You're unbelievable." His outrage was as pathetic and hilarious as it was predictable.

"What can I say, _I'm completely fucked up_."

"No kidding," he snarled.

"You know Sebastian, you should be grateful. We actually had this whole elaborate revenge planned out. We were going to out your newfound humanity to the entire student body on the first day of school, but well, we got bored."

"It's true," Kathryn echoed, "This could have been _so_ much worse."

"Oh, I'm sorry, should I thank you?" Sebastian spat sarcastically as he began to pace the length of the bed. "I'm guessing your entire manifesto really was a sham. You weren't a virgin?"

"Far from it"

"So, you're just another scheming slut is that it?" He shot daggers at his sister. "How original."

Annette's hackles rose at that word. Her earlier amusement gone she hissed, "Hey asshole, you wanna know why I pretend to be someone else, why Kathryn does? Maybe because we aren't afforded the same luxuries you are. We can't act however we please and the world just accepts it. We fuck a boy and we're a slut. We don't and were a prude worthy of being your victim. We can't win. The game is rigged, so why shouldn't we pretend to be whomever we want?"

"Um, because it's psychotic?"

"So is hunting girls for sport but that doesn't seem to have stopped you any."

He shook his head in frustration. "So, this is all my fault then, huh? The world is sexist and unfair, so you take it out on me? I did nothing to you."

"You're the one who targeted me!" Annette exclaimed, laughing at how willfully ignorant he was. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't decided to make me your 'greatest victory'. I was merely protecting myself."

"Bullshit, besides I would never do anything _this_ fucked up."

"Oh, really tell that to Cecile Caldwell or Marci Greenbaum or Darcy Van Ryan"

"Darcy Van Ryan? What the hell does she have to do with anything?"

Annette rolled her eyes at his cluelessness. She should have known. "Take a look around this room Sebastian. Does it look familiar?"

"No," he sighed giving a half-hearted glance around. "Should it?"

"I suppose for you it wouldn't. It belongs to Darcy. You fucked her here."

"How the hell do _you_ know Darcy?"

"We were…_friends_ at Oakwood, a boarding school in England my father taught at for a time. When she came back to New York junior year she fell for a boy. A boy who had a horrible reputation, but she didn't care because he told she was beautiful and special. So, he took her trust and her body and he used it against her. He uploaded all kinds of revenge porn, for everyone, including her parents to see. He completely destroyed her. She was so humiliated by the betrayal, so hurt, she could see no other way out other than to take her own life. So, she took a razor blade to her wrist. She did it right over there," she gestured across the room. "Still think you would never do anything _this_ fucked up?"

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah I remember that. She survived though, right?"

"Yes, she did, but that's not really the point is it?"

His gaze focused sharply on his sister. "On that we can agree."

"That's big of you," Annette quipped. "She got released from the hospital last spring. Her parents sent her to boarding school in Connecticut."

He was still glaring at Kathryn before turning back to her. "Look I'm sorry about Darcy but there's a lot of shit you don't know and-

"It doesn't really affect you, you didn't intend for it to go that far, blah blah, blah. God, face it Sebastian. You're a piece of shit and you had this coming."

He nodded. "Maybe you're right, maybe I did, but I'm not the only one due a bit of karma." Starring daggers at his sister, Sebastian stalked over to her side of the bed. Standing over her, nostrils flaring in barely concealed rage he drawled, "You're being awfully quiet sis."

"Am I?" Kathryn asked, sounding impossibly bored as she examined her nails. "I guess somehow I thought this would be more _amusing_."

"I'm sure you did. Tell me does your little girlfriend over here have the faintest clue what you're really capable of?"

She stared at him a beat before picking up his journal, laying idly among the sheets. Holding it up she proclaimed, "Well if she didn't before she sure does now You really went all in."

Sebastian let out a short, humorless laugh. "I'm sorry, are you looking for an apology? Dream the fuck on."

"You know I have to admit I was always curious what you wrote in this thing. I never imagined so much of it was about me. It's bordering on obsessive really."

"Every word of it's true," he replied.

Flipping it open, Kathryn turned to the page with her yearbook picture and proceeded to read aloud: _"There has never been a single person in human existence quite like Kathryn. Stunning to look at, and exciting to be near and as cold as ice. She cares about absolutely no one but herself. This girl has elevated self-absorption into an art form. She believes in nothing and laughs in the face of sadness, faith, and sincerity. A person solely observing her and having seen the damage she's done to so many lives would most likely classify her as evil."_

She sighed, flipping the pages carelessly, "I must say, given your supposed hardon for literature, I was expecting something a little more substantial. This thing reads like a twelve-year-old girl wrote it. Not to mention…you spelled friendship wrong. Some intellectual you turned out to be."

"Fuck you," he snarled attempting to rip the journal out of her hands. "Give me that!" When she wouldn't give it up, he wrestled her to the bed.

"Get off of me!" Kathryn shrieked, throwing wild punches in an effort to fend him off.

Annette immediately flew into action, jumping across the bed. She managed to pull him off his sister and he stumbled into the armoire behind them. When he got his bearings, he came charging back only for Annette to throw herself between the stepsiblings. "Haven't you had enough of attacking women for one day," she remarked, a clear insinuation that she knew about the incident the night before.

Sebastian appeared momentarily taken aback by the reprimand as if suddenly remembering himself. "I apologized for that," he stated defensively.

"Well I guess that makes it okay then, doesn't it?" Kathryn huffed sarcastically.

Running a hand through his hair he growled, "You had it coming."

"You self-righteous piece of shit!" Kathryn snarled her earlier detachment replaced by white hot fury. Stepping in front of Annette she advanced on her stepbrother, her eyes filled with not only hatred but pain. "So, I'm the dirty, lying, manipulative slut and you're, what the reformed hero? Fuck you. I may be everything you said I am in your stupid little book, but at least I own it. I don't harbor delusions I'm better than I am. You can sweep all your dirty deeds under the rug brother dear, but that won't make them disappear. I know exactly who you are Sebastian."

"Maybe you're right, but don't forget sis, all the shit I've done, you've done tenfold."

To her surprise Kathryn smiled faintly. "Then you best watch your step. I'm starting to lose my patients with you Sebastian."

A serpent like smile spread across his face as he stepped closer to her. "Is that a threat? You want to start another war baby?"

"Funny I thought we were already in one." Kathryn taunted, "I believe I'm winning."

Once again, he aggressively advanced on her but this time Kathryn didn't so much as flinch. "You haven't won shit."

"Pay attention Valmont," Annette spoke up, "You've already lost. Learn to do it with dignity."

"You think you've won?" he laughed, nearly manic. "You have no idea what you've started bitch." His gaze shifted between the two of them as he seemed to revert back into the cool, jaded seducer. "I wonder what would happen if it got out that everyone's favorite debutante was a coke whore or that the new headmaster's daughter was…" Sebastian looked her over, his eyes going wide as he gestured to her and proclaimed, "Whatever the fuck you are."

"Go right ahead," Kathryn told him, completely unbothered.

"But before you go shooting your mouth off," Annette warned, "You might want to think about who people are more likely to believe. The lying, druggie, fuckboy of the Upper East Side or the virginal headmaster's daughter and Marsha fucking Brady."

"Not to mention," Kathryn taunted "Mommy and daddy would be awfully upset if you went around slandering the family name like that. They might even ship you off to that military school they've been threatening to send you to."

Sebastian clearly was trying to not appear intimidated, but it was clear he knew he had lost this battle. Annette went in for the kill. "Face it Valmont. You're out flanked and out classed. We are better at this than you are."

"Think so, huh?"

"Oh, but what am I saying. It doesn't matter anyway. You're done with this life, remember? You've turned over a new leaf," she reminded him of his earlier words with a harsh laugh, "You couldn't go back to that life _even if you wanted_ _to_."

"I wouldn't count on it sweetheart," he growled.

Picking apart Sebastian's pride was fun, but it was also growing tedious. It was time to wrap this up. "You don't get it, do you? You're not the hero of this story Sebastian. Not even close." Annette sighed, "Alright I'm officially bored. Please get the hell out so I can go back to fucking your sister."

Realizing he was being dismissed, he at least had the wherewithal or perhaps just the self-preservation to do as he was told. With one last hateful glare in their direction, he turned and headed for the door, his black coat flapping dramatically after him as he tossed off one last threat. "This isn't over with, not by a fucking long shot."

Both girls stood in silence, listening as he exited the apartment. When he finally left Kathryn sighed, "Ever the goddamn drama queen."

Annette feeling drained and exhausted from the whole mess, collapsed back into the bed. "Finally, it's over."

Kathryn looked down at her with warm amusement. "Being a bitch is hard work, isn't it?"

"You would know." She reached over and pinched her ass, eliciting a sharp cry of surprise from the brunette.

Kathryn quickly scrambled onto the mattress and pinched her shoulder in retaliation. "_Cunt_."

Annette winced and immediately went for her nipple, twisting it hard. "_Whore_"

"OW! You asshole" Always one to play dirty, Kathryn went right for her cunt, but Annette yanked her hand away before she could do any damage.

"Alright I surrender," she giggled, "you win!"

"I usually do," she purred. Laughing, Kathryn curled up beside her, her face as open and happy as she ever remembered seeing it.

Cupping her jaw, Annette drew her in and kissed her. For once it felt completely untethered to any of the usual bullshit that seemed to come between them. No games, no ulterior motives, no fucking Sebastian. Just them. It made for a nice change.

As they parted, Kathryn appeared almost shy, a faint color rising in her cheeks as she rested her head on Annette's chest. Neither one of them were particularly good at intimacy. But they were learning. Slowly.

Annette caressed her soft chestnut hair, while those big green eyes of hers stared up at her searching. "So, what now?" Kathryn asked

"Now? The world is ours." Annette smiled. "What do you want to do first?"

* * *

Sebastian wanted to murder someone. Tearing out of the apartment building, he nearly ran over the stocky middle-aged doorman on his way out. He cursed at his retreating back in Italian, and despite the fact that Sebastian was fluent in it, all he heard was white noise. Nothing at that moment was penetrating his anger.

How could he be so fucking stupid? He had known her for all of a couple of weeks and he was willing to completely upend his whole world for her. Of all the women he's taken to bed in the last eighteen years, he had to fall in love with the lying psycho. A Kathryn in virgins clothing.

_About that little wager of yours? Count me in._

_It's not about winning Sebastian._

_Don't you get it? You were our toy, but this was my game_

_You're in love with her, you don't love me anymore._

_Because I don't trust myself with you._

_Face it Sebastian, you're a piece of shit and you had this coming._

_You're just a toy Sebastian, a little toy I like to play with._

_I'm impressed. Well I'm in love._

_The master seducer brought to his knees by the first girl he ever loved only to discover she was playing him the whole time. I mean that's kind of delicious don't you think._

As the events of the summer played out in his head like a clip show of a shitty sitcom, Sebastian tried to look for clues. He came up frustratingly short. Every look, every gesture had seemed authentic. When she told him she loved him, he _believed_ it. He never even suspected Annette was playing him or that Kathryn had rigged the game. It was the perfect con and he was the perfect sucker.

Heading into Central Park, Sebastian tried to figure out his next move, but it was hard as his thoughts and emotions were ping ponging so fast it was giving him a migraine. Shit, he felt as if he had just done ten rails of coke.

His first instinct was to expose them for the conniving bitches where were. However, that option was risky. The girls hadn't been wrong when they argued no one would believe him over them. Not to mention, if he brought a scandal like that down on his family, it might boomerang back on him and things could get even uglier.

Christ, he couldn't think. He needed sleep. He needed to get drunk. He needed—

"Valmont!"

Pulled out of his inner monologue, Sebastian looked up to find Ronald Clifford of all people coming towards him. He did not look pleased. _God, what now?_

Despite the fact that he would have liked to just flip him off and keep walking, he humored him. "Hey Ronald," Sebastian greeted him with zero enthusiasm.

The other boys' eyes narrowed in quiet anger. "It seems you and I have some talking to do."

He very much doubted it. Seeing as his life just careened into the shitter the last fucking thing he felt like dealing with was Ronald fucking Clifford and whatever it was that got his panties in a bunch.

"Can we do it later? I've had a really bad night—" Ronald cut him off with an abrupt shove to the chest. Sebastian stumbled back, annoyed. "What's your problem?"

"Where the hell do you come off hitting Kathryn?"

_Here we go._

"Oh Christ, she got to you too." Given the morning he had, Sebastian wondered if somehow Ronald was involved in all this too. Was he another one of Kathryn's foot soldiers, sent to fuck with his head some more? He dismissed the thought almost as soon as he had it. Clifford was far too naïve to be working with Kathryn. More than likely he was just another one of her toys.

"She told me everything."

_Doubtful, very doubtful_.

"Ronald, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah"

"She also told me you fucked Cecile." _Shit_. He should have seen this coming. Add it to the list. When he didn't respond right away Ronald pressed, "It's true, isn't it?"

Now here is where he should have lied. He felt the words form on his tongue, a firm denial, a 'what are you talking about man?' but something was stopping him. Remembering the smug looks on the gruesome twosomes faces and their taunting refrain, riled something up within him. They thought he was a joke, just another boy to manipulate and toy with. No better than Ronald Clifford. The thought infuriated him.

_Fuck them. Fuck them all._

"Yes, Ronald, I did fuck her," he admitted with a serpent like grin. "A couple of times actually. I popped her cherry good and you know what? _She loved every minute of it_."

Before he could go into any further nasty detail, Ronald punched him square in the face. Honestly, he should have expected it. He more than deserved it. He would have hit him too.

Sebastian crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Staring up at the blue last summer sky, his vision blurred and despite the fact that it was a sucker punch at best, his face felt like it wanted to cave in on itself. A moment later, Ronald was leaning over him, his angry face blurring in the hot sun.

"Stay the fuck away from Cecile and Kathryn too."

Sebastian imagined the look on his dear stepsister's face if she heard her name used as an afterthought to Cecile Caldwell. Despite his circumstances he laughed. "You really don't have a fucking clue, do you Ronald? Well, welcome to the club."

Clifford just shook his head at him. "I mean it motherfucker. If I hear about you messing with them again, I'll come back and finish the job, understand?"

Sebastian was about as intimidated by Ronald as he was loaf of bread, but as he was in no mood to exchange further fist-a-cuffs, he decided against antagonizing him further. For a fleeting moment he considered warning him about Kathryn but dismissed it. Sebastian had no desire to spare anyone anything. Ronald would learn soon enough.

"Ten-four," he told sarcastically mumbled.

Ronald didn't stick around after that. He stormed off, his shoes echoing on the pavement as he departed. Sebastian remained prone on the ground, oblivious to the curious stares he garnered from joggers and tourists and men in business suits. Instead he gazed up at the bright sun and considered Annette's parting shot to him.

"_You're not the hero of this story Sebastian. Not even close."_

We all think we're the hero in our own story, don't we? Most villains in movies and books all operated under the assumption that while they might be doing wrong, if was for the right reasons. Even goddamn Hitler thought he was in the right.

But not Sebastian. That's what Annette got wrong. He never thought he was the hero. He always knew, down in his soul, he was the bad guy.

For a while there, after he fell for Annette, he thought there might be something worthwhile to the whole 'good guy' business. After the events of that morning however, he recognized it as just another racket. There was no such thing as good or bad people. Just those who were smart enough to make it out alive.

Sebastian wasn't a hero. He wasn't a good guy or even a guy worthy of redemption. He was Sebastian fucking Valmont, a calculating, cold ass mother fucker. He ruined men and brought women to their knees. He could destroy kingdoms with the flick of his wrist. He was nobody's toy.

Let the world beware. He was back.


	4. The Long Night

**Chapter 3: The Long Night**

* * *

"Jesus, don't you have that thing memorized by now?"

Kathryn reluctantly tore her eyes away from the leather-bound book in front of her just long enough to cast a withering glare in the direction of the question. "How's daddy?"

"As obtuse and useless as ever." Annette sighed, tossing her cell into her bag as she exited the bathroom. Kathryn found it fascinating that Annette always insisted on talking to her father in private. She wondered what they could possibly have to discuss that would warrant so much privacy. As much as she believed she knew Annette, the truth was in some respects she was still very much an enigma.

"And where does he think you are tonight?"

"Well, certainly not at The Four Seasons fucking the student body president." Annette fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "He thinks I'm with the Michalack's."

Kathryn wet her lips, her gaze raking over the blonde. She was a wet dream in her lace navy boy shorts and white body hugging tank, her pink nipples poking out provocatively. "I take it he wouldn't approve?"

She snickered. "Yeah that's one way of putting it. Another would be he'd ship me back to Kansas before you could say conversion therapy."

"Shit." Her own mother was a nightmare, but she wasn't _that_ bad. Kathryn wanted to ask more but she suspected Annette wouldn't be terribly forthcoming. Like herself, she didn't like to volunteer more information than she had to.

As if sensing what was coming, Annette ordered, "Stop changing the subject Merteuil."

"I wasn't aware I was."

Annette plopped down on the hotel bed and yanked the journal from her hands. "How long are you going to keep studying it?"

"I'm not," Kathryn hissed letting out an irritated huff as she tried to take the journal back. Like a child playing a game of keep away, Annette held it out of her reach. "Give it!"

"And if I don't?" Annette taunted. It might have been kind of sexy, had Kathryn not wanted to smack her for it. "Why are you so obsessed with this thing?"

When she said nothing, Annette stared her down until she shifted under the weight of her unflinching gaze. Annette had this way of looking at her as if she could see right through her, right to her very core. Sometimes it could be exciting, other times, like now it was just irritating.

"If someone wrote a book detailing all your secrets, you're telling me you wouldn't be just a little obsessed?"

Annette shrugged. "I wouldn't be stupid enough to spill all my secrets in the first place."

Kathryn immediately snatched the journal back then shoved her off the bed. "Fuck you farm girl," she huffed before flopping onto her back. "Why don't you go back to daddies and jerk off. You're starting to bore me."

Much to her annoyance, Annette chuckled as she remained on the floor. "I'm sorry, that was a bit cruel." Reaching out she ran a teasing finger down Kathryn's cheek. "Forgive me?"

Out of the corner of her eye Kathryn could see her employing that doe eyed Bambi thing that she was sure turned her stepbrother into goo. She however refused to be moved. "Piss off."

Annette rolled her eyes as she got to her feet. Smirking she plopped down beside her then casually slipped a hand inside her robe. Kathryn pretended to ignore her even when her clever fingers crept under her bra to tease her nipple. When she acted like this, cruel and teasing like a naughty child, she couldn't help but be reminded of Sebastian. Kathryn wasn't sure what to make of that. She slapped her hand away, but Annette persisted, sliding her hands down to tickle her sides.

"Stop it! Stop!" Kathryn shrieked, withering helplessly under her ministrations.

"At least you're smiling," Annette laughed as she finally relented. Scooting further back on the bed, she laid down beside her and kissed her now exposed stomach. Her earlier anger practically forgotten, Kathryn relaxed into it, dropping the journal in favor of toying with her silky locks.

Annette looked up at her from between her breasts. "Have you heard from him?"

The abrupt subject change brought her up short. It took a moment for the question to register. "No," Kathryn finally replied, "He never came home."

It had been over a week since that infamous morning and she had yet to hear a peep from her stepbrother. Not that she was surprised of course. She knew when he discovered the truth it was likely going to put them on opposing sides for the considerable future. Not knowing where he was or what he was planning had her on edge.

"You sound concerned."

"I am," Kathryn admitted before adding pointedly, "You should be too."

The blonde didn't appear impressed. "All I want is to never hear the name Sebastian Valmont ever again. Is that too much to ask?"

"That's easier said than done seeing as I am still technically related to him."

Annette shrugged. "Yeah, can't we do something about that? Something tells me your mother is in desperate need of a husband number four."

Kathryn smiled faintly and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. If I know my darling brother, he's not going to be content to just sneak off into the night with his tail between his legs. He's planning something I'm sure of it." Her gaze fell to his beloved journal. "Sebastian's more dangerous than he lets on. We have to be prepared."

* * *

Stumbling out of the Buick LeSabre, Sebastian barely made it over the curb before falling on his ass. Staring up at the night sky, he marveled at how the stars seemed to move of their own volition. "When was the last time you saw stars Valmont?" he mumbled.

Someone cleared their throat beside him. Sebastian looked around before his gaze landed on the gentleman with the tattoos and the Black Keys t-shirt who's car he just fell out of. He looked very annoyed. Sebastian didn't blame him. That was a lot of vomit he left on the back seat.

"That will be 350 dollars _sir_."

"Ugh, Uber's expensive." Sebastian fumbled in his pockets for cash.

"200 for the ride, the rest for the clean up."

Nodding he fished out a fistful of hundreds and tossed them in the man's general direction before turning over and vomiting all over the immaculate green lawn in front of him.

"Jesus Christ," the man grumbled, collecting his money from the ground.

Completely drained, Sebastian rolled over onto the pavement. As he passed out, he heard the man call him an asshole before peeling away in his shitty car.

That seemed fair.

Sometime later Sebastian awoke to find it was still dark out and he was still in Connecticut. Groggily he stumbled to his feet, his gaze taking in the quiet suburban tree lined street filled with McMansions. Turning around he noticed a familiar glass and chrome house across the street. _Tuttle_. Right.

Gathering himself up he headed across the street, running a hand through his hair, wiping his mouth. It was probably hopeless. He was a fucking mess, there was no getting around it. That said, he was still breathing, which was mighty impressive given what he'd been up to the past week.

Approaching the front door, he remembered it was late and he wondered if Blaine was even home. He lived on campus during the semester and he might have already moved into the dorms. Or worse yet, his parents might be home. Then again, the Tuttle's spent about as much time at home as his parents did.

Sebastian knocked three times before a disheveled Blaine greeted him at the door, dressed only in his boxers and a short silk robe. "Valmont? What the fuck? It's two in the morning."

"Hey Blaine," he greeted him, his voice sounding like gravel even to his own ears. "We need to talk."

"Yeah, I'm kind of in the middle of…entertaining."

"Your orgy can wait." He placed a hand on the door indicating he wasn't going anywhere. He tried to sound like his typical haughty self, but it came out more slurry. "This is important."

Blaine gave him a critical once over, his brow crinkling in distaste. "Christ man, what happened to you? You look like shit."

"Thank you. I had my heart ripped out by two psychotic bitches."

"I see. What exactly are you on?"

"I don't know, but I think I left most of it on your neighbor's front lawn." Sebastian sighed. "Can I come in or what?"

He considered it a moment before finally ushering him inside. As he closed the door Blaine paused and stared at him. "Um, what the hell are you wearing Valmont?"

Looking down at himself he found he was wearing the same black Prada pants he'd been wearing all week (now stained in vomit) along with a pair of bright neon sneakers (also vomit) and a peach t-shirt with a kitten on it and the I Heart NY logo. Sebastian was genuinely stumped. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's been a rough couple of days."

"So I gather." Blaine crossed the foyer to turn on the chandelier above. "You finally found out huh? I knew there was a shit storm coming. I just didn't anticipate so much…vomit in the fall out."

"Yeah I…" Sebastian trailed off when he realized what Blaine just said. "Wait. _You_ knew?"

He shrugged. "Of course, I know and see all remember? Isn't that why you're here?"

Sebastian stopped listening as he suddenly became overwhelmed with white hot rage. He wasn't sure if it was on account of the alcohol and drugs that tended to give make him as moody as a thirteen year old girl on the rag or if it was just the fact that his life had been upended. Either way he was DONE.

Lunging at Tuttle he grabbed his oldest friend by the neck and slammed him against the opposite wall. "You knew?! You knew what those cunts were doing to me and you said nothing?!"

"I didn't think it was my place," Blaine choked out as he tried to remove Sebastian's hands from his throat. It took a particular talent to sound like a jaded unapologetic asshole even when being strangled. Sebastian might have admired that if he wasn't so pissed.

"You are a fucking asshole. I thought we were friends."

"What can I say, money talks"

"You're—

Before Sebastian could get the threat out, he suddenly found himself being thrown across the room. He landed on the Tuttle's imported marble tiled floor with a hard thud and looked up dazed to find a shirtless Greg McConnel standing over him. "What the—

Greg proceeded to pound the shit out of him. Sebastian put in a half-hearted effort to stop him, but truth be told, Greg was a football player who spent half his life in the gym and the only exercise Sebastian participated in was in the bedroom. He was outmatched and frankly after what he'd put Greg through these past couple weeks, he probably had this coming.

In the end Blaine was the one who put a stop to it. "Alright, that's enough. I think he's had enough Greg."

The other boy reluctantly climbed off him sneering, "Punk ass bitch."

"Fuck you McConnell," Sebastian sneered whipping the blood from his nose.

The football player approached his lover, examining his neck. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Blaine assured him, pulling his hand away. "I've had S & M partners choke me out harder."

"I'm fine too by the way," Sebastian grumbled.

"No one gives a shit," Greg sneered, rubbing his hand.

"Leave him alone," Blaine sighed. "He's had a rough couple of days. He just found out his girlfriend isn't who he thought she was."

"Oh," Greg replied not at all surprised. "That sucks."

"_That sucks_?" Sebastian echoed. After a beat it dawned on him what his reaction implied. "Wait. YOU knew?!"

* * *

"I have an idea," Annette announced scooping up the journal then jumping to her feet. "Let's burn it!"

"No!" Kathryn managed to get it out of her hands before she could make it to the fireplace.

"Why not? I'd think you would want that thing out of circulation before it falls into the wrong hands."

Kathryn cocked a sharp brow. "Is that a threat?"

"Are you serious right now? No Kathryn, it's not a threat. I'm not _him_." Annette leveled an annoyed look at her as she brushed past to retrieve a cigarette from the desk. "I don't get it. If someone wrote a bunch of horrendous, judgmental shit about me, I wouldn't want to hold on to it let alone keep re-reading it. The only thing I can think is…are you still hung up on him?"

Kathryn immediately bristled at the accusation. She made it sound like she was one of Sebastian's infatuated groupie cast off's. As if she would ever.

"Did you have a fucking brain tumor for lunch?" she snapped meanly. "I'm not 'hung up' on Sebastian. He's just a toy, a puppet I kept around to amuse me and when he was no longer useful, I got rid of him. That's what I do with things that bore me. _I toss them away."_

She intended for that last line to be a warning—drop the subject or she'd drop her. But Kathryn sometimes forgot who she was dealing with. Annette was right, she wasn't Sebastian. Unlike her stepbrother, she was nearly impossible to manipulate.

Annette took a long drag of her cigarette and smirked knowingly back at her. "You know I'm curious. Do you actually believe the shit that leaves your mouth or are you just stupid enough to believe I do?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your brother might have been clueless enough to buy that little speech you gave him about being a toy or whatever, but I know better. _I know you better_. It killed you when he fell in love with me and not just because he was no longer under your control. You loved him, admit it and when you realized he didn't love you—

"This is truly fascinating Dr. Freud," she snarked bitchily interrupting her monologue. "But if we're not going to fuck, I'm going to bed. I have an early morning tomorrow."

Kathryn attempted to dismiss her and her stupid theories by plopping down on the bed with her crucifix. Once again however she underestimated Annette's ability to get under her skin at any cost. "I saw you that night, remember?" Annette stared her down, her eyes filled with that determined glint. "When I showed you that journal you _cried_. Are you going to tell me that was bullshit too?"

She winced at the memory but quickly covered it with a haughty smile. "Yes, of course. I just wanted you back in my bed," she lied. "I figured a few tears and a quivering lip would do the trick. Behold my success."

Annette wasn't impressed. "You're lying—_badly_."

"What makes you such a fucking expert?"

Standing over her she answered with a rueful smile, "Because you're not that good an actress princess. I see through you, I always have, since the first day we met. I knew exactly who you were before you even opened your mouth—a fucking gorgeous liar."

It was true, Annette had known who she was the moment they met—not that she let on any. Kathryn herself had been completely blindsided by Annette's true nature. It wasn't until she had her tongue in her mouth and her hand up her skirt that she realized she wasn't what she purported to be. Kathryn got by on her charm, her looks and her smarts. But Annette was an _actress_. She was so fucking believable no one would ever think twice about doubting her character. It also made her annoyingly astute to everyone else's.

Annette began to pick up her clothing around the room, slipping her dress on, snatching up her bag. Kathryn's suddenly couldn't breathe. Trying to keep the fear from her voice she demanded, "Where are you going?"

"Home. You want to sit around all night obsessing over that book and _him_, be my guest. I have better things to do."

Watching her head for the door, Kathryn knew she would leave her. She would leave and there would be no getting her back this time. She knew from experience there was only so much of her bullshit Annette would put up with before walking away. Kathryn couldn't let that happen. It was bad enough she lost Sebastian. She couldn't lose her too.

Before she even realized what she was doing, Kathryn was spilling her guts. "I told him everything," she called out. Her voice was soft, but Annette heard it. Slowly she turned around. "I told him stuff…dark, ugly shit. He didn't include all of it, thank god, but still, I thought he understood. I thought he knew me better than I knew myself. I thought he saw through my bullshit and he still…"

"Loved you?"

Kathryn nodded stiffly, her eyes averted away. "But it turns out the joke was on me. He didn't love me. He didn't even _like_ me. I was just another goddamn girl for him to psychoanalyze and judge. I keep reading that fucking thing hoping there's some deeper meaning to it, but in the end, he thought I was just an evil, heartless slut."

Annette sighed, taking a seat beside her. "Kathryn, in all fairness, I think a lot of what he wrote was probably written after the fact. I mean, you really did a number on him."

She regarded her with disbelief. "Are you defending him?"

"Fuck no," she replied holding her hands up. "I'm just saying I think a lot of that was written in the heat of anger. He was trying to play up your part in things in order to absolve his own actions."

She knew Annette had a point, but she also knew Sebastian didn't write the whole fucking book in a night. Flipping through the journal she noted, "Some of these posts are dated from years ago."

Even Annette couldn't argue that.

They sat in silence for a beat before Kathryn finally exploded, "Fuck it." She hurled the book across the room with a huff. "I'm sick of thinking about it. Fuck Sebastian and his bullshit."

"Good girl," Annette said with a proud little smile as she made herself comfortable back in the bed. "He's not worth it."

"I take it you're staying?"

"Who else am I going to hang out with, Greg?"

Kathryn snorted, grabbing a fistful of her dress she yanked her down on top of her. "Then you better loose the ugly dress."

Annette made a face at her as she pulled the dress over her head and straddled her. Kathryn ran a hand over her taunt stomach, drinking her in. "Much better."

"So, are you ever going to tell me any of these dark secrets of yours?"

Kathryn's hand stilled. It was true Sebastian had written down most of her secrets, but luckily not _everything_. Even he wasn't that cruel. Unlike her darling stepbrother, most of Kathryn sins weren't loitering somewhere on the dark web, so there was little risk of Annette ever stumbling onto them. Despite that, there was a part of her eager to spill everything to Annette, but after what happened with Sebastian she also wasn't willing to risk it. "Maybe," she finally told her, "But not tonight."

She nodded, but it was clear she was still curious. "How dark are we talking? Dark like you and Sebastian hit and running some fisherman or like getting crabs from your guidance counsellor?"

"It wasn't crabs," Kathryn insisted rolling her eyes, remembering that particular entry from the journal. "It was a UTI!"

Annette laughed. "My mistake."

As she watched the blonde toss back her head laughing, she suddenly had a thought. "Hey, I have an idea." Annette stopped and looked down at her. Kathryn leaned in for the kill. "How about you spill some of _your_ dark secrets?"

* * *

"GREG knew?!"

The football stud had the gall to look offended. "Why is that so surprising?"

"Because you're a fucking moron," Sebastian exclaimed, lumbering to his feet. His face felt like hamburger meat.

Greg looked like he was about to lunge at him again, but this time Blaine held him back. "Easy killer, I think he's had enough."

Sebastian wasn't really listening to them as he was still trying to process this information. "So hold on, are you telling me you knew the whole time? You knew she was a fake?"

"God no," Blaine laughed, answering for him. "He only found out the truth when the bitch started blackmailing him."

He doesn't know why he's surprised to hear this, but just like with every other revelation about his beloved ex, he was left blindsided. "She's _blackmailing_ you? She found out you were gay?"

"I'm not gay!"

"That's right Valmont," Blaine echoed with mock sincerity, "Just because the boy likes a little cock in the ass and cum down the throat doesn't make him a homosexual."

"Hey fuck you!" Greg spat, tossing Blaine's hand off his shoulder.

The bleached blond merely rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself McConnell." Turning back to Sebastian he remarked, "Ironically enough, that's _not_ what she's blackmailing him with."

"Though…um…she does kind of know about…you know…me and Blaine."

"Of course she does. So, what else does she have on you?"

The jock shrugged. "I kind of cheated on Mrs. Westbrook's history final last year. It wasn't just me, half the team got the answers ahead of time! Anyway, I'm on scholarship and if anyone finds out my career is toast and they'll ship me back to Kansas."

"I wonder how the intrepid little blond came across such information, her being brand fucking new and all," Blaine mused, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Sebastian of course knew right away. He wondered how long his dear sister had been holding on to that particular piece of intel.

"I don't get it," Greg sighed. "I've known Annette since we were in diapers and she's always been super sweet. I mean she's only been in New York a few months. Could it really have changed her that much?"

Sebastian wondered how it was someone managed to be a functioning human and yet still be this stupid. "I don't think New York is really the culprit here," he dryly remarked.

"What, you think she's always been like this and she's just been lying?"

He answered him with a look that said 'duh'. "So why is she blackmailing you?"

"Oh, she's telling Mrs. Rosemond—you know who that is?"

"She's my aunt fucktard."

"Oh, that's right. Well she's been having me pick her up at your aunt's house and telling her we're hanging out. I guess so her dad doesn't know what she's doing."

"Well, what _is_ she doing?"

Greg shrugged like the big dumb sheep dog he was. "I don't know. Frankly I don't want to know. I'm just trying not to piss her off."

Sebastian of course knew exactly what she was doing or rather who. "So you're acting as her beard. There's irony for you." Examining his reflection in the mirror, he winced. His once pretty face was a mess. "You could have given me a heads up you know."

This time it was Greg who looked at him like he was a moron. "I owe you shit."

"He has a point," Blaine pipped in helpfully.

"Anyway, I did try to warn you."

Sebastian spun around, instantly regretting it as his balance had gone to shit. He reached for the wall to hold himself upright. "When?"

"Don't you remember? When you called me looking for Annette."

"_Greg it's Valmont," he yelled into his cell as his jag barreled across the George Washington bridge._

"_Hey buddy," Greg greeted him like he was one of his football buddies and not a blackmailer who currently had his balls in a vice. _

"_Is she with you?"_

"_No"_

"_Where is she?" Sebastian demanded._

"_I don't know." There was a brief tell-tale pause. "Look why don't you just leave her alone?"_

"You call THAT a warning?" he bellowed incredulously. "_Run for your life, she's a psycho_ is a warning."

When Greg merely shrugged his shoulders, Sebastian shook his head in disgust. "Unbelievable. Was Kathryn in on any of this?"

"Kathryn?" Greg echoed looking confused. "What does she have to do with anything?"

Sebastian stared him down disbelievingly for a beat before letting out a short laugh. He was about to fill in the dumb jock on all the way his darling step sis was involved in this but before he could Blaine interjected. "Um, Greg sweetie why don't you head on upstairs and finish the movie. I'm just going to show Valmont out then I'll be right up."

Anyone in their right mind could see Blaine was clearly trying to change the subject, but Greg was either too blind to see it or didn't care. "Okay man," he merely mumbled before heading back upstairs. He paused briefly to look back at them. "Uh, sorry about your face Valmont."

"Fuck off closet case," he huffed.

"Okay," Blaine sighed, pulling him away into the other room before anymore could be said.

"Why are you still fucking that loser?"

"I told you, the boy could suck rust off a bumper not to mention he has an ass like—

Sebastian help up his hand. "Forget I asked." Blaine turned on a few lights, illuminating the sparse living room. On the large glass table in the center of the room was enough drugs to make Pablo Escobar blush. Given his current state of mind it might as well have been Christmas morning for Sebastian.

"Don't even think about it," Blaine ordered taking a seat on the floor in front of the table. He immediately got down to rolling a joint. "Sit," he ordered. "And keep in mind the only reason I'm putting up with your nonsense is because I find you amusing and pretty to look at—although not right now."

Sebastian sunk down in one of the plush leather couches. "Gee thanks. Why the fuck are you protecting Kathryn?"

Blaine shot him a brief smirk before licking the joint. "I imagine for the same reason you have all these years—I've always had a thing for that girl."

This was a little surprising as he always assumed Blaine was indifferent to Kathryn. Sebastian's confusion must have been written all over his face because Blaine laughed. "Oh, not like _that_. I have no interest in her evil va-jay-jay. But you have to admit, there's something about her."

"Yeah she's a cunt," Sebastian huffed.

"_Exactly_. Here," Blaine held out the joint for him. "I'm going to need you to take this if we're going to proceed."

* * *

"Go easy with that stuff."

Kathryn rubbed the residual power from her nose and shot her a look. She resented being told what to do, good intentioned or not. She held out the crucifix. "Take some."

Annette leaned in like she was going to take a bump, but instead snatched up the necklace. Closing it she tossed it carelessly across the room.

"Hey!" Kathryn protested and started to climb off the bed only for Annette to pull her back. Rather than get annoyed as she normally would have, she found herself laughing. Straddling the blondes lap, she wrapped her arms around her neck and flicked her tongue against her collarbones making her shiver and grab her hips tighter. "Remember that night we fucked on cocaine?"

She hummed. "How can I forget. I think I still have some of the bruises."

Kathryn let her teeth dig into Annette's skin a little drawing out a moan. She knew she liked that, a little bit of pain in her pleasure. Knowing she had her where she wanted, eager and pliable she asked, "So are you going to tell me or what?"

"Hmm?" Annette was more interested in removing her robe at the moment. Kathryn allowed it but didn't sway from her mission.

"Your dark secrets?"

"Later," Annette groaned, kissing her cleavage. "I have more pressing matters to tend to."

Before she could remove her bra, Kathryn pushed her away and gave her a pointed look. Annette rolled her eyes upwards like she was mentally counting to herself. In the short time they'd known each other Kathryn had yet to see her lose her cool. Part of her resented that. Annette never flew off the handle, never gave into her rage even though she knew she felt it. Kathryn hated it but also, begrudgingly admired her for it.

Realizing she wasn't going to get laid until she played ball, she finally gave in. "What do you want to know?"

There was a lot, but she decided to go with her most recent inquiry. "What's the deal with your dad? Why are you always talking to him in private?"

Annette stared at her a moment, quietly studying her face. "Because he's not really my dad. He's my partner." She paused. "We're grifters."

Kathryn's brain temporarily went blank as she took this in. "What?"

A smile broke out over Annette's face. "Wow and I thought your brother was gullible."

She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity as the blonde laughed. "Bitch."

"There's no dramatic story, he's just a small minded asshole who's determined to keep me in Kansas and marry me off to the conservative hick of his choosing. If you had any idea of the bullshit, I had to go through to get him to take this job at Manchester…"

"Like write that manifesto?"

Annette nodded. "My father knows who I am, that I have to intentions of wasting my life in fucking Kansas and he hates it. But as long as I pretend to be the wholesome little mid-western virgin in public, he leaves me alone. For the most part."

It was frightening how much Kathryn could relate to this. Her own mother was a shit show who didn't give a damn what she did in private, who she fucked or what she shoved up her nose so long as she was the perfect Manhattan debutante in public. She hadn't told Annette anything much about her relationship with her parents. Part of her longed to unload and share all the dirty details, but the other part, the more rational part that was still smarting from her stepbrother's betrayal stopped her from saying much more than, "That sounds familiar. So why are you always ducking out of the room to talk to him?"

"Because it's embarrassing how I have to kiss his ass and play up to him just so I can have a little bit of freedom." She sighed tugging her blond hair into a ponytail. "This summer was kind of an anomaly. When he arrives next week, he's going to have me on lockdown. I don't know how available I'm going to be."

Kathryn wasn't pressed. She had no intention of giving Annette up anytime soon. "No worries, if there's one thing I'm good at it's snowing parents. Everybody loves me."

Annette's smile was warmly amused. "Oh yes, how could I forget." Before Kathryn could reply, Annette leaned in and kissed her. If her goal as she suspected was to distract her from her line of questioning, it worked, albeit temporarily. The slow, sensual glide of her clever tongue against her own while her hands traced over her breasts was enough to make Kathryn momentarily forget what she was doing. It wasn't until she felt her hand slide up her thigh that everything came rushing back.

"Did your dad know about Darcy?" Kathryn asked, pulling away.

Annette groaned flopping onto her back. "Are we still on this?"

"Yes. Answer the question."

She let out a long sigh before relenting, "Yeah he knew. He found us together one afternoon and lost his shit. Dragged me out of Oakwood and back to Kansas."

"Did you talk to her after that?"

"A little afterwards, a text here or there, but that's about it. Then a few months later her mother called me, I guess she heard we were friends and she told me what went down. It was around the same time my father had the interview for Manchester. I went with him to New York and snuck away to visit her."

Kathryn paused. "What was she like?"

"Drugged up mostly. It was like she was there, but she wasn't. I don't know, it was sad." Annette looked away. "I haven't talked with her much since she left for Connecticut, even though I told her parents I have. That's why they invited me to stay with them. I know I should go see her I just…"

"You've been busy," Kathryn offered up an excuse. "It's understandable."

"Yeah."

"Did you love her?"

Annette studied her a beat, before shaking her head. "No." Hearing this Kathryn let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Did you know Darcy?"

Kathryn had a flash of long blonde hair and a high pitched champagne filled giggle. She shook it away and lied easily, "No I didn't know her. I saw her picture in Page Six once or twice though. She went to Spence, right?"

She nodded. "I think she met your brother at a party or something."

"Sounds like Sebastian."

There was a beat of silence as they were both clearly in their own heads. Finally, Annette gave her a playful smack on the ass. "So is the interrogation over with?"

"Not quite. I want to know one more thing?"

"My social security number?"

"Why does my relationship with Sebastian bother you so much?"

The question hung there for a moment, with the amusement dying in Annette's face. It was the question she'd been dodging all summer. The answer was obvious, but Annette refused to own up to it. Well after all the crap she made Kathryn own up to that evening she thought she was due some honesty. Annette clearly thought differently.

Rolling over she groaned into the mattress. "I swear to god, if I have to talk about Sebastian Valmont anymore tonight, I'm going to put a bullet in my fucking mouth."

"Well aren't we dramatic," Kathryn dryly replied. "Come on, out with it Hargrove."

She shook her head. "You know why"

"Yes," she replied archly, "But I want to hear you say it."

Perhaps it was petty or whatever, but after the past couple weeks she needed it hear it, if only to level the playing field a bit. Kathryn felt as if she had put so much of herself on the line lately, which frankly was so against her nature it was a wonder she wasn't the one in Bellevue. Annette meanwhile had given up nothing, refusing to own up to any of her own feelings or foils. Probably sensing this, Annette finally gave in.

"Alright, fine. I'm jealous," she told her in one giant exhale. "I'm jealous of the way you look at him and talk about him and _obsess_ over him."

"I do not obsess—

"Oh please," Annette laughed shaking her head. "I hate the connection you have with him. I hate that you think he knows you better than anyone. I hate that that might be true. And I hate, despite what you may say, that you still want to fuck him, which by the way—you're not missing much in that regard."

"I don't," Kathryn argued lamely.

"You do. I saw it. The way you two look at each other…it should be studied." Annette sat up on her elbows, her face pinched in anger. "What I hate most of all however is that he's completely unworthy of all this attention. He might _know_ you, but he doesn't _understand_ you. If that fucking journal proved anything it was that. He doesn't see how smart, how sexy, how fucking amazing you are. Sebastian Valmont is nothing more than an odious brat and he doesn't deserve you."

It was the most worked up she'd ever seen Annette get. "Wow," she replied, trying not to smile. "That was a lot."

"Oh fuck off," she sighed, collapsing back in the bed.

"I didn't think you cared," Kathryn teased. When Annette scowled in reply, she laughed and leaned in to kiss her only to have Annette turn away. Kathryn's brows shot up in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"I'm no longer in the mood."

It was bullshit of course and Kathryn was happy to prove it.

Running her mouth teasingly down her neck, she found that place that made her breath catch and her body squirm and bit down. Hard. Annette's attempt to muffle her own moan came out more like a pathetic grunt. Kathryn chuckled darkly against her shoulder. "I don't believe you."

She sucked on her salty skin leaving behind a nice little reminder that she was there before shifting down her body. Straddling her thigh, Kathryn rolled her hips, knowing Annette could feel the heat from her pussy. As she did that, she pushed her tank top up, exposing Annette's full breasts. Her nipples were already standing at attention, giving away her supposed lack of interest. Kathryn tauntingly flicked her tongue over the pudgy tip.

"Stop it," Annette protested weakly. It was a lost cause and she knew it.

Kathryn smirked up at her playfully. "But I don't want to."

Sucking the bud into her mouth she watched with satisfaction as Annette's eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. Then she moved onto the next while her hands crept up her thighs. Featherlight, she ran her nails over the inside of her legs until she reached her panties. As soon as she palmed her cunt she was bucking into her hands. Kathryn laughed against her tits. "What a needy little slut you are," she taunted.

"Fuck you." Her tone was weak but amused

"You first." Sitting up she removed her lace boy shorts, meeting no resistance. She not so gently parted her thighs. Kathryn licked her lips. Annette really did have one of the prettiest pussies she'd ever seen. She almost couldn't blame her brother for falling in love with it. Soft, pink, dewy lips, topped with a neatly trimmed blond bush. Her mouth actually began to salivate a little. After taking a moment to admire her, she at last touched her, running her fingers over her gently. She pushed one digit into her tight opening, drawing out more wetness as she slowly fucked her.

"Aw baby you're so wet," Kathryn cooed slipping in a second finger. "Is this all for me?"

Annette said nothing but gave one jerky nod, her teeth digging into her lip. There was still a small part of her that was stubbornly fighting it. She loved her like this, needy and on the brink. Kathryn felt powerful. She could make her lose her fucking mind if she wanted.

She slipped down further on the mattress, laying on her belly. Kathryn quickly replaced her fingers with her tongue. When her mouth made contact with her hot little cunt her hips jumped. Kathryn chuckled against her as she threw her arm over her pelvis and pinning her down. She tasted like salt and warm bathwater and that distinct taste that was all Annette. She lapped her up greedily.

Kathryn tongued her hole briefly before finding her clit. The little bud was swollen and pulsating. Ever so lightly she let her teeth graze over it. Annette cried out. Kathryn pulled back, meeting her hooded gaze. "Still want me to stop?"

Annette threaded her hands through her hair and tugged. "Don't you fucking dare."

Kathryn smiled and got down to work.

* * *

"So, what the hell happened?"

Sebastian took one last hit off the blunt, before setting it back in the ashtray. Blaine was right, it definitely helped mellow him out. Everything felt a little hazy and softer around the edges. He was still pissed, but he no longer felt as if he wanted to throw a chair through one of the Tuttle's floor to ceiling windows.

Sitting on the carpet, across from Blaine, his arms stretched out across the length of the couch, Sebastian rolled his head and asked, "Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning sounds about right." Blaine leaned over and refilled his tumbler of Glenfiddich.

Sebastian told him the whole sad fucked up tale. How he stupidly fell in love with the headmaster's daughter only to find out she was fucking with him the whole time. By the time he was done, Blaine was in tears he was laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?" Sebastian spat petulantly.

"Oh, come on," he chuckled, wiping his eyes, "You gotta love the irony. The crown prince of pussy, falling in love with some sweet little country girl, only to discover she's playing him the whole time and BONUS! She's also fucking the one person you could never have and never beat. You have to admit, that's fucking…delicious."

Sebastian failed to find the humor in any of it. "Stop laughing asshole, it isn't funny."

"Try looking at it from my perspective."

"I wish I was," he grumbled running a hand over his face. He was in desperate need of a good night's sleep.

Blaine lit another joint. "So what was their reasoning again?"

"I don't know, some bullshit about toppling the patriarchy or some crap like that."

He let out a low whistle followed by a rueful shake of his head. "It's true. Hell _is_ a teenage girl."

"No shit." Sebastian reached for the joint only for Blaine to slap his hand away. Slumping back against the couch he asked, "So when exactly did _you_ find out?"

"What, about your little blonde friend? On the night I met her." Swirling his drink around the tumbler he rolled his shoulders back and explained, "I was dropping off some merchandise to your sister…"

"_You're late"_

_Blaine groaned as he pushed past Kathryn into the hotel room. "Give me a break duchess, I had to catch the L from Brooklyn." It was a lie. He was sucking off some NYU student at a GAP on Second Ave when he lost track of time. However, it seemed unprofessional to bring it up._

"_Ew. I hope you had time to shower," she sniffed ever the blue blooded bitch. "Where is it?"_

"_Greedy greedy." Blaine dug out the baggies from his breast pocket. Pills and coke, the Merteuil special. Every other week since sophomore year. Kathryn was going to single handedly put him through Harvard. She tried to seize them from his hand, but he held them out of reach shooting her a knowing look. She rolled her eyes and turned around to grab her purse. It never ceased to amaze him how even the smartest of cokeheads thought they could get the goods before paying._

_As she fetched his payment Blaine realized they weren't alone. A pretty little blond with shoulder length hair and big blue eyes wrapped up in a fluffy white hotel robe was laying in the bed. Huh. Now that was interesting. This wasn't the first time Blaine found someone in Merteuil's bed, but it was usually more of the Abercrombie and Fitch variety. He didn't even think the student body president was into girls, but given the black lace baby doll nightie she greeted him in and the paraphernalia littering the bed, he was clearly mistaken._

_Strolling over to her, one hand in his pocket he offered up his most genial grin. "Well hello there, I don't think we've been introduced." He offered a hand, "Blaine Tuttle."_

_The blond seemed less than impressed hesitating a moment before leaning over and shaking. "Annette Hargrove."_

"_You're new," he observed. She was far too pretty to have gone unnoticed, even by a homosexual. _

"_I've been here a few weeks."_

"_And already hooking up with the Mistress of Evil. Impressive." Judging by that surgically untouched face of hers and her stunning lack of manicure he was guessing she was from __**way**__ out of town. "And which fly over state are you from sweetheart?"_

_The blonde's gaze narrowed at the question, clearly offended. Before she could reply Kathryn shoved his payment at him. "Here."_

_Annette reached out and snatched the drugs from his hand. She opened up the baggie of coke, dipped a finger inside and tested it on her tongue. He was shocked when Kathryn allowed it. "This is decent," she announced before handing it over to her lover._

_Blaine clasped his hands together and bowed. He was about to make another smart ass remark, when her name finally registered. "Wait. Hargrove? As in our illustrious new headmaster?"_

"_That's the one," she sighed, bored._

_He had heard some things about this girl already. Something about an article in some publication about waiting for marriage. She was supposed to be super straight edge. Clearly someone got their facts wrong. Looking her over once again he remarked, "How…unexpected." Turning to Kathryn he remarked, "Nailing the headmaster's daughter before school starts. Quite the coup. Tell me sweetheart, have you met Kathryn's stepbrother Sebastian yet?"_

"_No," the brunette answered for her. Shooting him a pointed look she added, "She's mine."_

"Kathryn never was any good at sharing her toys," Sebastian observed dryly.

"Well you would know."

Sebastian shot him an annoyed look but let the comment pass. Scooping Blaine's gold plated cigarette case off the couch, he snared a cig. Tapping in on the table he asked, "And you didn't think to tell me any of this when I came to you looking for information?"

Blaine leaned over the table and lit his cigarette for him. "To tell you the truth no. Look I have enough balls in the air without getting in the middle of your turf war with your sister. I really don't need her cokehead ass on my tail."

"Since when are you afraid of Kathryn?"

"I don't know, since always? Besides she's not the one you have to worry about." Before Sebastian could ask him what he meant by that Blaine told him, "Look if I were you, I'd let this whole thing go. Just move on."

"No!" Sebastian exploded, "Fuck no, I'm not letting those bitches win. They turned me into a joke and I'll be damned if I let them get away with it."

Blaine merely rolled his eyes at his theatrics. "You know I live for drama as much as the next gay man, but you really need to take it down a notch."

Ignoring him Sebastian pressed. "Blaine, I need your help. I need you to find me everything you can on Annette. Every piece of dirt you can dig up."

He shook his head. "Sorry I can't."

"Why not? I'll pay you whatever, price is no object."

"Temping, but there's not a chance in hell Valmont."

Sebastian stared at him in disbelief. In all the years he'd known him he'd never known Blaine to turn down anything. Especially cash. "Why not?"

Blaine took a long drag off his joint and replied, "Because I don't want anything to do with it. You think Kathryn is dangerous? She's got nothing on your little girlfriend. Put those two together, it's like fire meeting gasoline. Anyone in their right mind would steer clear of them. Including moi."

* * *

"Oh god…oh god…_harder_…" Kathryn cried into the sweat drenched sheets, fisting them in her shaky hands as her hips bucked against the vibrator currently demolishing her pussy. She could feel herself lingering on the precipice, but it was no use. She wouldn't get there. Not until she surrendered her dignity at least.

Annette was sitting behind her, practically on top of her, straddling her left leg. She had one hand on the rotating vibrator she was expertly wielding and the other clutching her shoulder, pinning her face down to the mattress. The sadistic bitch had been tormenting her for damn near half an hour. After all the time they spent together that summer, Annette now had intimate knowledge of how to make her come—and more importantly, how to _keep_ her from coming. She kept dragging her to the edge only to deny her.

Whimpering, Kathryn wiggled about searching out any kind of stimulation for her pour neglected clit. The damn thing had to be the size of a quarter by now. Up until that moment, Kathryn had too much pride to resort to getting herself off, but the vengeful blonde left her with little choice. She was about to lose her fucking mind.

Kathryn attempted to snake a hand between her legs only for Annette to somehow snag it before she could make contact. "I don't think so."

Whipping her head around Kathryn glared over her shoulder and had to stop herself from spitting out every curse word imaginable. Annette, clearly saw the frustration in her face and was loving it.

"Please," Kathryn grit out through clenched teeth. "I need…"

"Oh, I know what you need," she replied completely unbothered. "But I don't think you've earned it, have you?"

Kathryn let out a tiny shriek of frustration. Honestly, she had never hated anyone so much in her life and she was a girl with a healthy amount of rage. "You. Fucking. Cunt."

Annette pouted prettily. "Well if you're going to behave like that…" She turned the vibrator to its lowest setting and slowed her wrist.

Kathryn wailed against the sheets and kicked her foot, like a toddler denied a toy. Annette laughed, low and sexy. Fucking cow.

She should have known she couldn't be trusted. After Kathryn made her come (twice), Annette was suddenly all sweet and Kansas like, telling her she wanted to make her feel good too. So not Annette. Her girl liked to play the alpha just as much as she did. Kathryn reluctantly let her take charge only to have the bitch wrestle her to her stomach then shove a vibrator up her pussy, not even bothering to remove her panties first.

Left with little choice, Kathryn calmed herself down and meeting her eye she pled softly, "Please, I'm sorry. Please let me cum."

Annette stared down at her imperious as a queen even though she was just as much a sweaty mess as Kathryn was. After a beat she asked, "Are you going to behave?"

Oh, so that's what this was about. She resented being seduced even though she clearly wanted it. Kathryn had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Instead, as docile as a church mouse she told her, "Yes, I promise I'll be good."

Annette smiled, obviously getting off on this. "And do you understand no means no?"

"Yes," Kathryn replied, a bit harder. "Please…"

Annette stared at her for a long beat before giving a little shrug of her shoulders. "Alright then." She turned the rabbit vibrator around so the 'bunny ears' massaged her clit and turned it up to it's highest setting. Kathryn came almost immediately. The orgasm raced through her body something fierce, starting at her core before exploding through her whole body. She cried out loudly, her cunt clenching around the invading toy as her body trembled from the weight of it. Kathryn couldn't say how long it lasted, likely just seconds but it seemed to stretch on forever. When her body stopped convulsing, Annette finally removed the toy.

Kathryn laid there for a moment, panting into the sheets, trying to pull herself together before eventually rolling on to her back. Her cheeks felt hot and she could feel her hair matted to her face with sweat. She was a mess, not that she cared. Annette meanwhile looked awfully pleased with herself. "Did we learn our lesson?"

Even though she had come hard, she was still furious at being forced to submit, not to mention horny as fuck. Glaring mutinously at her lover she wasn't sure if she wanted to smack her or fuck her unconscious. Maybe both.

"Mother fucker," Kathryn hissed at her before lunging up and grabbing her by the back of the neck and attacking her mouth. It wasn't so much a kiss as a full on assault. Annette, never one to be outdone, returned her affections with equal aggression, betraying her supposed indifference.

They fell back into bed, a tangle of shaky, sweaty limbs and teenage hormones. They made out violently, all teeth and spit and thrusting tongues while grinding desperately against each other. Annette shoved her hand between her legs, strumming her clit before slipping two fingers into her clenching hole. Kathryn whimpered, grinding down on her hand. "Who's the needy slut now?" Annette taunted in between kisses. "You're always so wet."

Kathryn nipped at her lip. "Are you complaining?"

"Never," she replied her voice husky and raw. Annette ripped the lace cup of her bra away and squeezed her breast hard. "What do you want?"

Too turned on to engage in anymore verbal sparring Kathryn told her honestly, "I want you to eat me until I pass out."

Already sliding down her body, Annette smiled wolfishly up at her. "Consider it done."

* * *

"I cannot believe you," Sebastian told him, over enunciating each word as he was prone to do when annoyed. He also liked to pace. He was threatening to wear a hole in Mrs. Tuttle's imported Tuscan rug. "It's a simple _favor_."

"Ha!" Blaine laughed. "No such animal. And will you sit the fuck down. You're giving me a headache."

Sebastian slumped onto the armchair and pouted. Blaine remained unmoved as he was busying himself with filling orders. Watching him empty a bag of pot on a scale and weight it, he bitched, "I don't see what the big deal is. Come on Tuttle, we've known each other forever. We were in cub scouts together for fucks sake."

"Oh god, I think I repressed that," he remarked, nose scrunched up in distaste. "Along with the rest of fifth grade."

"Why won't you help me?"

He leveled an annoyed look at him, for once all his amusement and condescension gone. Blaine without a filter as it were. Wordlessly he lumbered to his feet and went to the kitchen. Sebastian followed after. The bleached blond retrieved a couple of bottles of water and tossed one across the counter to him. "You need to sober up, you're getting on my nerves. More than usual."

Ignoring the water, Sebastian leaned across the counter. "What aren't you telling me?"

Blaine let out a long sigh. "Okay so I didn't tell how I left things with her. The girl."

"_Tuttle don't you have a young twink to corrupt or something?" Kathryn asked with her typical haughty sneer._

_Given the fact that the ice queen was looking at the new girl like she was about to make a meal of her, Blaine realized it was time to vamoose. "I'm sensing my presence in no longer required, so I'm going to take my leave. You ladies have a nice night." Addressing the blonde, he said, "See you around campus Ms. Hargrove."_

_He headed for the door when she called out, "Oh Blaine, to answer your earlier question…"_

_He swung back around. "Yes?"_

"_I'm from Kansas," Annette told him._

"_Ah, like Dorothy!"_

"_Yep." She replied, her expression completely inscrutable. "And just like Greg McConnel. I believe you two are acquainted right?"_

"And?" Sebastian sputtered "That's it?"

"I never told anyone about hooking up with Greg and I know for goddamn sure he never told anyone. So how does a nobody from fucking _Kansas_ know about it?"

Sebastian still wasn't impressed. "I don't know, who cares? That doesn't prove anything."

"Valmont, that girl in no joke and on top of it she's the fucking headmaster's daughter. I'd rather not be in her crosshairs which I most certainly will be if she finds out I've been helping you facilitate her downfall."

"Wow," Sebastian remarked. "I never realized it before Blaine, but you are a pussy."

"It's called being smart and knowing when to pick your battles. Face it beautiful, you're playing outside your league this time."

* * *

Annette kept her promise. After coming three times, Kathryn indeed passed out. When she awoke it was still the middle of the night and Annette was curled up beside her asleep, wrapped up in their sex stained sheets. The room was dark except for a thin strip of light shinning in through the window from the building across the street and the only sound was the familiar hum of the city at night. Kathryn tried to fall back to sleep but it was no use. Her brain, as always, refused to shut down.

Creeping quietly from the bed, she crossed the hotel room and found her purse loitering on the desk. She was searching for her sleeping pills when something on the floor caught her attention. Sebastian's journal.

Sighing she walked over and scooped it up. Funny, how such a seemingly insignificant little thing could carry so much weight in her life. Kathryn had spent entirely too much time wondering what he wrote in that thing, having no idea what a pandora's box it really was. She kind of wished she was still ignorant to the secrets it held.

Enough.

Kathryn was done. Annette was right, she was obsessing over it. Well no more. She refused to let Sebastian hold any kind of power over her. He was _her_ toy after all, not the other way around. She was going to do what she should have done the moment she finished reading it.

Crossing the room she went to the fire place and turned it on. Fingering the soft leather cover, she tried to summon up the nerve to go through with it.

"What are you doing?"

She looked over to find Annette sitting up, half awake, her hair falling out of her ponytail. Seeing her in that moment for some reason tightened her resolve. With a carless flick of her wrist she tossed the journal into the flames. "I'm finishing this," she announced.

Annette smiled faintly. "Good." Yawning she told her, "But, um, you do know it's not going to be that easy, right? I mean your brother looked pretty pissed when he left the other day. I don't think he's letting this go any time soon. We made a fool of him. Nothing deadlier to the fragile male ego than that."

Kathryn agreed. She knew Sebastian, just as she knew herself. She imagined at that moment her dear stepbrother was plotting some kind of retribution. This didn't bother her. On the contrary, she was rather looking forward to it.

Walking over to the bed, she took Annette's hand, lacing their fingers together. "If Sebastian wants a war, I'll happily give him one," Kathryn told her, suddenly feeling a renewed sense of power.

Annette stared up at her with sleepy eyes and sighed. "Do you need a partner?"

"Are you up for it?"

Bringing their entwined hands to her lips, she kissed them and smiled wryly up at her. "Let's fuck some shit up."

* * *

"As amusing as this has been, I have a very pretty and very horny boy up in my bed and I will never forgive myself if I let that go to waste."

"Fine," Sebastian sighed dramatically as he spread himself out on the couch, preparing to pass out. "Abandon me in my hour of need."

"Take it down a notch Blanche Devereaux," Blaine laughed. "You'll survive you always do."

Sebastian resented the condescension. Glaring at him in the dark he told him, "If you won't help me, I'll just find someone who will."

They both knew there was no one else, or at least no one with near as good of resources as Blaine's. But ever the gentleman, Blaine didn't point this out. "Have it your way," he told him. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Sebastian was far too messed up at the moment to appreciate the warning. All he could see was his rage. "Those bitches are going down one way or another," he told him, eyes closing as he could feel sleep take hold of him.

"I'm curious what you resent more, being made a fool or the fact that you've been rendered irrelevant to the two women you love most?"

Sebastian's eyes popped open. Glaring stonily across the dark he grumbled, "Goodnight, Blaine."

The blond let out a merry laugh as he exited the room. "This is not going to end well."


	5. The Upper East Side Clusterfuck

**Chapter 4: The Upper East Side Clusterfuck**

* * *

"Have you met Kathryn Merteuil?"

Annette was eternally grateful in that moment for the frequent potholes littering second avenue. Without them her father might have caught the smirk that sprang up on her face when he mentioned their hostess for the evening. Thanks to that split second distraction she was able to school her features into a look of total indifference and he was none the wiser.

"Of course," she told him, "Helen introduced us. We hung out a little over the summer."

She smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her navy lace dress. It was pretty and delicate, most definitely classy enough for an Upper East Side cocktail party, but not so high end that someone might suspect she was more sophisticated than she led on. She was supposed to be a good girl from Kansas after all and tonight she'd look the part.

"I met her during orientation," her father told her, staring disinterestedly out the window of the town car. A nice perk of the Manchester gig. "Everyone speaks very highly of her. She seems like a very bright young woman with a good head on her shoulders. Very strong morals."

_Unlike you_. It went unsaid but Annette heard it none the less. She could have just let it go, but as always, when it came to her father, she couldn't resist poking the bear. "Yes, she's quite the girl. Pretty, sweet, _straight_ and super into Jesus." Side eyeing him she added dryly, "She's like the daughter you never had."

Her father didn't look amused. Then again, he never did when it came to her. Benjamin Hargrove barely tolerated his only child and only in public did he show anything resembling affection towards her. Annette always assumed it was on account of the incident in third grade when, after her favorite aunt died of cancer, she announced loudly and proudly to anyone who would listen that she didn't believe in god anymore. On further introspection however, she came to realize that her father's animosity towards her likely began at her birth when her introduction to the world subsequently killed her mother. He never forgave her.

One would think all of this turmoil would way heavy on her teenage psyche, but the truth was Annette had made peace with it long ago. She viewed her father as nothing more than a barely tolerated nuisance. One she enjoyed provoking whenever the opportunity arose.

The headmaster stared her down long and hard, but Annette merely smirked out at the passing scenery. "I think now is a good time to go over our agreement young lady."

She groaned. "Must we?"

"Yes, we must. It's imperative that you conduct yourself in an appropriate manner at all times, because your behavior doesn't just reflect on you, but me as well. Manchester is one of the top schools in the country and as the new headmaster, I, _as well as my family_ are under intense scrutiny. We can not afford even a whiff of a scandal."

Annette had heard all of this before of course and it wasn't any more interesting the second time. "Yeah, I got it."

"Good," he replied, boring his intense gaze into her. "Then perhaps you'd like to remind me what will happen if you step out of line."

"I get shipped back to Kansas to live with Grandma Ruth," she sighed. Infusing some false cheer into her voice she added, "And if I really fuck up, I get to go live at some creepy born again facility out in the sticks with a bunch of lobotomized assholes."

"That's right so watch yourself." Fixing the labels on his jacket he added, "And watch your mouth. I don't want anyone at this party hearing you use that kind of language."

"Heaven forbid," she snarked.

The party that evening was being held at the Valmont townhouse, hosted by Manchester's illustrious student body president. It was some kind of fund raiser, for the school or something. Kathryn hadn't been super detailed when she told her about it. Annette got the feeling it was just an excuse for the rich and entitled to get to together to gossip about who got caught sleeping with the help this summer and show off their respective tans. Why her father was acting like it was some kind of bible meeting was beyond her. Even he wasn't naive enough to believe their new home was filled with a bunch of morally outstanding citizens.

Still annoyed by her earlier reprimand Annette defensively reminded her father, "You know I've been on my best behavior this summer. I did nothing but drink tea with Helen and watch Greg play football. I think I've earned a little trust."

Her father snickered, a sound that sounded completely foreign coming from the normally reserved man. "I'm sure you do. But you'll forgive me if I doubt anything that comes out of your mouth. We both know how you live to disappoint me."

This was hardly the first time he'd spoken so cruelly to her and really at this point it ceased having any sort of affect on her. Annette shrugged indifferently. "Fine, don't believe me. Talk to Helen or Greg for that matter."

"Perhaps I will," he replied, calling her bluff. "Greg should be there tonight. I'd be interested in getting his take on your supposedly wholesome summer."

"Go ahead."

He probably thought he was catching her unaware, but you would think he'd realize by now she was always two steps ahead. She had spent a good portion of the past week on the phone with Greg coaching him on what to say.

When they finally turned onto fifth avenue, Annette let out a sigh of relief. Ever since her father got back into town, he'd been shadowing her non stop. She was looking forward to a little freedom, not to mention she was eager to see Kathryn. They hadn't seen each other all week. Easily the longest they'd been apart since they met.

"Oh, by the way I have something for you." Her father reached into his coat pocket and produced a jewelry box. "It's a present. From Grandma Ruth."

Annette took the box shooting him a dubious look. Their family wasn't big on gifts. Or warm sentiments. Or fun of any kind. As it turned out she was right to be wary.

"No fucking way," she announced upon opening the box. It was a simple silver cross about two sizes too big. Glaring at it in disgust she snapped the box closed and attempted to hand it back. "I don't want it."

Her father didn't flinch. "Too bad, it's yours. I want you to wear it tonight."

"_No_."

Turning to her, looking less amused he told her firmly, "It was a kind gift from your grandmother, and you _will_ wear it. If you don't, I'll assume you weren't serious about turning over a new leaf."

Hearing the obvious threat in his voice, she reluctantly removed the hideous thing from its box and put it on. Scowling she grumbled, "There, happy?"

"Yes, you look lovely."

Glaring at his smug expression she daydreamed, yet again about the moment when she could finally rip into him about what a complete asshole he really was. One year. She just had to make it through one year at Manchester, land a scholarship and get into the ivy of her choosing. Then she'd finally be free of him.

"We're here," he announced cheerily as the car pulled up to the curb. As her father got out Annette waited until his back was turned before flipping him off. It was juvenile but it felt good in the moment.

Exiting the car, they stared up at the looming house that took up nearly the entire block. Even though Annette had been there many times before she pretended to be awed by it. Frankly she didn't have to work that hard. It was undeniably impressive.

"Wow," her father exclaimed, "Quite the place. They don't own all of it, do they?"

"I don't see why not," she replied airily, "They already own half of Manhattan. What's a whole block?"

For the first time her father appeared a little unsure of himself. They glided past the gold plated doors, being held open by the same blond doorman Annette recognized from her previous visits. Her stomach dropped momentarily as she considered the possibility that one of them might recognize her, they might even remember her name. That would certainly be hard to explain to her father.

It wasn't until she was handing her coat over to a Lebanese maid who looked through her with a bland smile that she knew she was safe. That same woman served her dinner in Kathryn's bed not two weeks ago. It was easy to forget that part of their job was to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Feeling more at ease, they took the elevator to the second floor along with a couple other guests. The party was being held in the Valmont's large parlor, an ornate looking room that Annette assumed used to be a ballroom at some point in its life. Now it was filled with well coiffed women in designer cocktail gowns mingling with middle aged men in three piece suits while their children snuck glasses of champagne off passing waiters trays. On one side of the room was a full bar, on the other an orchestra playing old standards. Just a typical Upper East Side cozy get together.

Almost as soon at they entered they were accosted by Bunny Caldwell. "Headmaster Hargrove," she greeted her father, all breathless with reverence. "It's so good to see you again. And Annette! Don't you look lovely dear."

She smiled sweetly at the compliment. "Thank you Mrs. Caldwell, you're so kind."

The older woman offered up one of her too tight smiles before turning her attentions back to her father. Annette honestly didn't know what was turning her stomach more, the disgusting way Caldwell was gazing at her father like he was a designer bag on sale or the cloying smell of her overly applied perfume. It was gross either way.

Tuning out the adults, Annette surveyed the room, discreetly looking for their hostess. It didn't take too long to find her standing among a gaggle of admirers. As always Annette was a little taken aback by how beautiful she was, but tonight she looked especially enticing wearing a black Grecian one shoulder dress, the silky material barely grazing her knee. Somehow, she managed to look entirely too sexy but still appropriate and sophisticated. When she looked over and noticed Annette, her eyes flashed with something and her mouth turned up in a smirk. Annette tried her best to appear indifferent, less anyone (especially her father) see her eye fucking the student body president, but it was hard. It had been a long god damn week.

The brunette didn't waste any time and was soon crossing the room to greet them, just as Mrs. Caldwell was taking her leave, finding someone else to hassle. "I'll talk to you soon. I have so many ideas for this coming year's fundraiser."

"I look forward to hearing them Bunny," he told her making the woman blush like a school girl.

When she was out of earshot Annette muttered, "Ew."

Her father shot her a reprimanding look which was quickly replaced by a big grin when Kathryn approached them. "Headmaster, I'm so glad you could make it," she greeted her father, shaking his hand before turning to her. "Annette, you look beautiful, I love your dress."

She highly doubted that seeing as Merteuil was deathly allergic to off the rack, but she smiled and returned the compliment. "Thanks. So do you."

"Kathryn your home is lovely. I can't thank you enough for all the work you're doing for the school and the new library."

"It's the least I can do," she told him, big smile. "After everything Manchester has given me, it feels good to give something back."

"If only all my students felt that way," he sighed. "You're a credit to your parents young lady."

This was clearly meant as a dig towards her. If only he knew. Not that he would believe a word she told him given the way he was gazing worshipfully at Kathryn. It amused Annette to no end that her father had no problem seeing through her, but he bought Kathryn's bullshit hook line and sinker.

"Speaking of which, are your parents here tonight?"

"I'm afraid not," she sighed forlorn. "They're in Bali until the end of the month. My stepfather is wrapping up some business."

"Ah, that's too bad I was looking forward to meeting them. What about your brother, Sebastian right?"

Kathryn didn't so much as flinch. "He's in Martha's Vineyard this weekend. I know he was looking forward to meeting you."

Her father nodded, not questioning what was so obviously a lie. Even he had to have heard about Sebastian's reputation by now. "I understand you girls spent some time together over the summer."

Kathryn's gaze shifted towards her. There was a playful look in her eyes as she removed two passing drinks (assumingly non-alcholic) from a passing tray and handed one to Annette. "That's right," she replied. "We went riding at the estate and visited the Met. But mostly we just ate out. A lot."

Annette choked on her drink, quickly covering with a short cough. She threw Kathryn a look, but she remained unfazed. The bitch wanted to play, she'd play. Annette casually touched her new necklace. Kathryn, seemingly noticing it for the first time smiled. "My what a beautiful cross Annette."

She ably produced a blush. "Oh, thank you, I just got it." Fingering the necklace, she told her with mock sweetness, "I know it sounds corny, but whenever I feel the temptation of peer pressure, I turn to God and he helps me through the problem."

Kathryn's gaze narrowed slightly at the familiar refrain. "That's lovely." Taring her eyes away she addressed the headmaster. "Sir would you mind if I borrowed Annette for a moment. There's something I'm dying to show her."

"Of course not," he replied, probably thinking Kathryn was bringing her someplace to pray or something. "You two have fun."

Smiling brightly, Kathryn took her by the arm and wordlessly led her out of the room and down a long corridor before pulling her into what looked like a study. The door was barely closed before she had her pushed back against a bookshelf and was devouring her mouth. Grabbing her by the back of the neck Annette kissed her back with equal fervency, kissing her so hard it almost hurt. Annette hadn't realized until that moment how much she needed this, needed her.

Breaking apart with a gasp, Kathryn panted, "You bitch, stealing my lines."

"What about you? I nearly started choking."

Fingering her necklace, she sing songed, "Daddy's little angel. A paradigm of chastity and virtue."

Annette nipped at her lip drawing a groan. "Don't remind me."

Grabbing her by the ass, Kathryn hauled her even closer, thrusting her thigh between her legs. Annette gasped at the sudden maneuver. Laughing the brunette asked tauntingly, "Does daddy know I'm about to tongue fuck his daughter into next Tuesday?"

"Not likely."

She pulled her back into another kiss, her excited hands eager to get under her dress. Before she could, Kathryn was sliding down to her knees and looking up at Annette through her lashes. Her expression almost demonic in its depravity. She made a show of slowly lifting her dress only to stop when her panties came into view. Sitting back on her hunches Kathryn's face fell. "You're not wearing them."

It took Annette a moment to piece together what she meant before she remembered her gift. "Sorry, they weren't really my style."

"They were _La Perla_," Kathryn huffed, getting to her feet. "They're everyone's style."

It was a beautiful lingerie set, she had to admit. All delicate pale blue lace and satin. However, when she looked them up online there was no way she was accepting the present. "You know how I feel about accepting expensive gifts," she reminded her, "It's gross. I feel like you're my sugar daddy or something."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at her as she made herself a drink at the wet bar. "Ugh, get over yourself. It's just money, who cares?"

Crossing the room, Annette took the drink out of her hand, earning another scowl. "The only people who ever say shit like that are rich people."

This had been a mild bone of contention between them. Annette was far from poor, but she didn't like to be reminded of their obvious class discrepancies. Unfortunately it came up everytime Kathryn insisted on paying for something or buying her some lavish gift she didn't need. This thing between them only worked if they were on a level playing field and in many ways Annette already felt outmatched. She didn't summer in the South of France. She didn't speak Vietnamese. She hadn't blown a future king of England on her sixteenth birthday. She didn't need anything else stacked against her.

Kathryn sank down into a leather desk chair, a glass of scotch in one hand. "I don't get it. You had no trouble accepting that leather bag I got you."

Annette smirked at the memory reminding her, "That was different. Technically Sebastian bought it for me."

"_Do you like it?"_

_Kathryn had been dragging her in and out of shops all afternoon. Annette had gone along because it amused her to listen to Merteuil berate the poor sales girls and on occasion they got to mess around in the changing rooms. While Kathryn was doing more damage to her stepfather's credit card, Annette admired a brown leather bag. It was a simple, but elegant small book bag. When Kathryn noticed her interest, she had to admit she liked it. "It's beautiful." Glancing at the price tag and seeing the zeros after it she laughed, "But I don't like it that much."_

_The brunette took it from her hand. "Let me get it for you."_

_She yanked it back and set it on the shelf. "No way. It's too extravagant."_

"_That's what makes it fun." Kathryn grabbed the bag and started for the register._

"_No." Annette told her firmly. "I'm serious Kathryn."_

Of course, the bitch didn't listen. The following week, Sebastian handed her a present and she very well couldn't refuse it, which Kathryn was well aware of. In hindsight she shouldn't have been at all surprised to receive the bag in the manor she did. It was completely manipulative and under handed. Pure Kathryn.

Eager to change the subject Annette asked, "Speaking of he who will not be named, have you seen him recently?"

Kathryn shook her head, swirling the ice around her glass. "Not a word. I'm assuming he's shacked up in his suite at the St. Regis with a couple of bimbos or else lying in a gutter somewhere. Either way I don't care so long as he stays away tonight."

Annette wasn't sure she totally bought into her indifference, but she didn't make an issue of it. "What's so special about tonight?"

"Aside from the fact that half the faculty and _your father_, are here and I rather not have him make a scene?" She sighed, "I did have plans for tonight. Unfortunately, they fell through."

Something tugged in Annette's stomach at the thought of her making arrangements to meet up with someone else, but she tried her best to ignore it. Trailing her fingers over the desk Kathryn was sitting behind she came around to face her. "Anyone I know?" she asked casually.

Staring into her drink she replied, "Court."

Annette stopped abruptly. "_Court_?"

Kathryn looked up at her face inscrutable, before letting out a laugh. "Oh god, not like _that_. No, I was going to unveil Cecile's nympho status to him tonight, but the fucker didn't show."

Annette let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she came to stand in front of her. "I guess all your evil scheming was for nothing, huh?"

The brunette pouted a beat before slowly rising to her feet. Running a teasing hand up her leg she whined, "I hate it when things don't go my way. It makes me so horny."

She laughed. "Yes, I think I heard that someplace before."

Kathryn finished off her drink, then closed the distance between them, cupping her face as she kissed her fiercely. Annette gasped against her lips when she felt her push an ice cube into her mouth. It was a heady sensation. The warmth on her mouth butting up against the frigid ice. They ice cube dissolved on their tongues in seconds.

Breaking away, but still holding her close, Kathryn murmured silkily, "I missed you this week."

"Wow," Annette responded playfully, "That almost seemed sincere."

"It _was_ sincere," she replied sounding hurt.

Kathryn ran a hand down her breast and tugged at her nipple. The gesture elicited a sharp jolt of pleasure that went right to her core. Annette whimpered and pulled her closer. Kissing her neck, she suggested, "Why don't you prove it then?"

Kathryn met her hooded gaze and licked her lips. Challenge accepted apparently. Scooting back on the desk Annette watched in anticipation as Kathryn sunk down to her knees. It perhaps wasn't the smartest idea to do this here, what with half of Manchester on the other side of the door, including her fucking father, but she didn't care. She wanted this, hell she _needed_ it.

Merteuil held her gaze as she reached under her dress to tug her sensibly priced panties down her legs. Annette spread her thighs wide in invitation. Kathryn smirked, running one finger over her open pussy, making her hips jolt when her index finger grazed her clit. She laughed. "Aw, somebody missed me," she teased.

"Get over yourself Merteuil," she panted. "I do the same thing when I turn my vibrator on."

Kathryn arched an eyebrow but didn't respond. She let her actions do the talking. Using her thumb she massaged her clit, not too firm and not too light, but just fast enough, that she could feel the tension building between her legs almost unbearable. "Oh god…please…" she found herself murmuring.

Of course that was the wrong thing to say because as soon as she started begging, Kathryn stopped. "_Say it_," she ordered.

Annette, half delirious, shook her head, "Say what?"

"That you missed me or I'll leave you to finish with your vibrator since it does such a better job."

She wanted to groan in frustration. For once it would be nice to do this without the games, but then she guessed they wouldn't be them. "I-I missed you," she stuttered, thighs quaking as Kathryn continued to press on her clit. "You know I missed you."

She smiled up at her clearly pleased. Then she removed her hands. Annette whimpered in response, only to let out a moan when her tongue replaced her fingers. Kathryn got down to work, eating her hard, her tongue burrowing its way inside her tight cunt. She was so wet she could hear it. Annette threaded her fingers through her hair while her hips gently moved against her face. She couldn't stop squirming. She didn't even want to think about the mess she was leaving on the desk.

Annette was so lost in her pleasure she didn't realize there was someone else in the room until she caught them out of the corner of her eye. "Oh god," she exclaimed as she watched Kathryn's personal maid Mai-Lei set some glassware down on the bar.

Kathryn remained seated between her legs, her fingers still on her slit massaging her clit. She looked towards her maid and told her something in Vietnamese. The older woman merely nodded and continued to gather up the used glasses as if it was totally normal for her to find her employer on her knees eating out another woman at a party. Perhaps it was.

"Anything wrong?" Kathryn asked, clearly amused at her discomfort.

Never one to be laughed at and always willing to rise to a challenge Annette replied breathlessly, "Not at all." Thrusting her hand into her luscious hair, pulling hard enough to pinch the scalp, she forced her face back between her legs and ordered, "Finish."

Kathryn chuckled warmly against the inside of her thigh before she quickly resumed her task with added enthusiasm. In no time she had Annette coming against her tongue. Her orgasm rocketed through her body like a freight train, her thighs clenching against the other's girls face tightly as she cried out.

Annette was still quaking in tiny aftershocks as Kathryn got to her feet. Her cheeks were flush, her lipstick was smeared off and her mouth was sticky with girl cum. Annette never wanted to fuck her more. Grabbing her by the waist she pulled her into a kiss, eagerly tasting herself on the other girl's mouth.

Kathryn pulled away and sunk back into the leather chair. "We should get back," she sighed, clearly reluctant. "Someone is bound to notice if the hostess is gone."

Annette knew she was right, but she didn't want to leave her so quickly. Crawling into her lap, she wrapped her arms around her neck and nuzzled against her ear. "So responsible, how boring."

"God, I forgot what a horny little bitch you turn into after your first cum," Kathryn groaned. Pulling her back by the hair she told her, "Save if for tonight."

"What's tonight?"

"You're going to tell your father we're having a sleep over."

Annette shook her head. "I can't. At least for a couple of weeks. He's watching me too closely and I can't risk it."

Kathryn's face fell in an almost comic fashion when she realized she wasn't going to get laid that night. Annette laughed, her hand already making its way up her dress. "Still want to get back to that party?"

"You have ten minutes," she told her firmly, taking her hand and pressing it against her cunt. "Make 'em count Hargrove."

* * *

"Oh, Annette you have to join our purity group!" the bubbly blonde in front of her gushed.

For the second time that night, Annette nearly choked on her drink. Not so much at the invitation but at the fact that an organization like that existed within the halls of Manchester. From the impression she gathered, Manchester was a virtual den of iniquity.

Forcing a smile, she told the girl with all the sincerity she could muster, "That sounds like…fun, but, um I'm not sure. I have a big class load this semester. I want to get my bearings at Manchester before I make any commitments." And she would rather slit her throat with a rusty knife than join a _purity_ group.

"That's totally understandable," the girl nodded sympathetically. "But let me know if you change your mind. We meet Tuesday's and Fridays and its super fun! I think you would be an excellent fit in our group."

Annette nodded wanly. While the girl continued to prattle on about the merits of abstinence, she wondered how she was stupid enough to let herself be cornered by this Stepford teen and her group of creepy followers. She blamed that fucking necklace. It was like a beacon for assholes.

Tuning her out, she let her gaze discreetly wander the party, looking for any sort of life raft. Everywhere she looked there were virtual strangers. Annette thought she was destined to remain in awkward conversation with these morons until she noticed someone holding up the bar. She didn't know him, but she was quite sure she knew who he was. Either way he was a better option than these morons.

"Excuse me," she spoke up, interrupting the girl's speech on why religion should be taught in public schools. "I think I see my father calling me over. It was lovely to meet you."

Annette walked away before she could respond. Crossing the room, she sized up the boy she was ninety nine percent certain was Ronald Clifford. For one, he was one of the few African American's at the party seeing as the Upper East Side wasn't exactly known for its diversity and two, he was starring at Cecile Caldwell with such big goo goo eyes she was getting second hand embarrassed for him.

Sliding up to the bar, she ordered a soda water from the bartender. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him discreetly take note of her. Taking her drink from the bartender, she turned towards him and made friendly eye contact that he returned. He laughed lightly, warm and masculine. "I hate these things," he admitted.

She nodded. "Me too. I know next to nobody."

"Same"

They both shared a brief laugh, before she extended her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Annette Hargrove."

"Ronald Clifford." He paused. "Hargrove?"

"Yes"

She was sure he was going to comment on her father, so she was genuinely surprised by what he said next. "Sebastian's Annette?"

Her eyebrows shot up and she tried to keep her expression neutral. "I've never heard myself described quite that way before." Tucking a stand of hair behind her ear, she pretended to be embarrassed as she revealed quietly, "And um, not anymore."

He grimaced. "Oh sorry. It's just Cecile, my…friend. She mentioned something about you two seeing each other."

"Yeah, that's over with and if you wouldn't mind, could you not tell anyone?" She smiled weakly adding, "The last thing I need, starting a new school is for everyone to think I'm just another one of his castoff's." Not to mention she was dead if it got back to her father that she was fucking around with the borough slut.

"Oh yeah of course, of course," he told her with a reassuring smile. The odd part was she was fairly certain he was on the level. Glancing around, as if to make sure no one was listening, he leaned in and told her, "Truth be told it's probably a good thing you got away from him when you did. From what I've heard he's not exactly a good guy."

_No shit Sherlock. _

Annette nodded in agreement. "You're not exactly wrong."

She could tell he probably wanted to press her for more details, but he was too much of a gentleman to pry. Huh Ronald Clifford was a good guy. This came as somewhat of a mini revelation seeing as just a couple of weeks ago, she hated his guts and was quietly plotting his demise. Annette blamed hormones and Kathryn's talent for pushing her buttons for that mistake.

Wanting to change the subject off of her she remarked casually, "So your friends with Cecile? I believe she mentioned you…a few hundred times in our brief conversations."

His face lit up at her comment and although she couldn't see it, she was sure he was blushing. "Uh, yeah,", he remarked gazing at the gangly girl across the room. "She's great. I've never met anyone like her. She's sweet and honest and beautiful."

"Wow," Annette remarked, not having to fake her amusement that anyone could be so into such an obnoxious girl like Cecile Caldwell.

"Yeah, but, um if you wouldn't mind keeping this to yourself. Mrs. Caldwell is kind of…"

_A racist asshole_. "A little much?"

Ronald nodded. "That's one way of putting it."

"Yeah of course, but I'm confused. I thought Cecile said something about you attending pre-Julliard?"

"I was, but I decided to transfer to Manchester." He shrugged. "It's one of the best school's in the country and it seemed like a great opportunity."

Yeah, Annette didn't buy that for a second. Clearly, he switched schools to be closer to Cecile. Poor bastard. This was not going to end well.

"So, do you know Kathryn?" Ronald asked, nodding towards the brunette currently chatting with Mrs. Caldwell and some of her equally annoying friends.

"A little," she lied, "We met over the summer. Do you know her?"

"Yeah a little," he echoed her lie. "She's um, an interesting girl. A little intense."

Annette didn't like his tone, it was far too judgmental for a boy who was fucking around on the girl he supposedly loved. "I didn't get that impression," she argued, careful to keep her tone indifferent. "She's very smart and she knows what she wants. That's rare in people our age."

"I guess." Leaning in closer, he murmured discreetly, "It's just, there's something off about her and her brother."

She had to stop herself from laughing out loud at that. If he only knew how right, he was. Still she played shocked, "What do you mean…you think they're…?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but stranger things have happened right? I mean they're technically not blood related and it did happen on _The Brady Bunch_."

"What?"

"Oh yeah, Greg and Marsha, totally got it on," he told her completely sincere.

Annette laughed despite herself. "I think I missed that episode."

"It's true," he remarked staring at Kathryn who had bent over to retrieve something from the floor. As she did, clear male interest flash across Ronald's face. As his gaze continued to linger on her a bit too long, it occurred Annette that perhaps Ronald wasn't so different from other boys after all. He was supposedly so in love with Cecile he was willing to blow up his career but if given half a chance he would probably easily fuck Kathryn again. Asshole.

Before she had the chance to dwell on his hypocrisy too much, Cecile was suddenly standing in front of them. "Hi Ronald," she greeted him with a big dopey grin. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah baby I am," he assured her sweetly, all thoughts of Kathryn's ass seemingly forgotten. "I was just talking to Annette here."

Cecile looked at her as if noticing her for the first time. "Hi Annette! I didn't know you were here."

"Hello Cecile," she greeted her with a smile. "You look really pretty."

"Thanks," she replied, bobbing back and forth on the edge of her kitten heels. She was wearing a peach floral dress that easily made her look two years younger. Bunny Caldwell really was a monster.

"Um, Ronald do you think we could talk?" Leaning in closer she whispered, "Privately?"

He hesitated, glancing around the room obviously looking for her prying mother. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Please? It's really important."

Judging by the way she was squirming around like a whore in church, Annette was going to guess her pressing mattered had to do with her hormones. Evidentially, Cecile's sexual awakening had been a rousing success. Annette watched with mild amusement as Ronald was clearly battling with himself. He knew it was a bad idea, not to mention a risky one, but little Ronald was apparently steering the ship at the moment. Wetting his lips as he stared down at her like she was thanksgiving dinner, he nodded, "Okay, sure."

"Why don't you use Kathryn's room," she volunteered helpfully. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Thanks Annette," Cecile called over her shoulder, already tugging Ronald away.

He flashed her a brief, apologetic smile as he passed. "Nice to meet you."

Annette watched as they disappeared into the bedroom, Cecile practically tarring off her dress before the door even shut. People were sometimes obnoxiously predictable.

Case in point: Kathryn running up to her as soon as she was alone, her pretty face tense with suspicion. "What was that about?" she demanded.

"They just went off to fuck," she replied nonchalantly. She took a sip of her drink and added, "In your room."

"_What_?"

There was something about Kathryn when she was pissed off that just did it for Annette. Her eyes got all big and her nostrils flared, and her shoulders rolled back, she rather resembled an animal about to charge. Or a child about to throw a massive tantrum. Either way it was amusing. For a girl so deft at subterfuge, she could be incredibly transparent sometimes.

"Relax," Annette sighed, staring out at the party.

"What are you up to?" Kathryn demanded.

As if on cue, Mrs. Caldwell came sailing over, cheeks flushed from obviously too much champagne. "Hello girls," she greeted them. "Have either of you seen Cecile?"

"I think I saw her go into Kathryn's room," Annette offered, pointing out the bedroom's right off the hall.

Caldwell smiled gratefully before heading over to fetch her daughter while Kathryn gazed back at her in amazement. "I am continually impressed by your treachery," she marveled.

"That's nothing," Annette sighed. "Did you notice Emma Donaldson over there?" she pointed at a pretty senior holding court a few feet away from the threshold of the room. "You told me she was the biggest gossip in school, correct?"

"Yeah"

"Well if she does her job right, I imagine all of this should get back to Court quite nicely."

Kathryn's gaze narrowed. "All of what?"

Before she could answer, the door to her bedroom came flying open as Mrs. Caldwell dragged a disheveled looking Cecile through it. "M-O-M," the younger girl wailed, pulling away, "It's not what you think."

"Oh really?" her mother snapped loudly, clearly forgetting they were in public and within hearing distance of half the school. "It looked like you were about to let that boy…deflower you."

"It was just a blow job," Cecile sniped still trying to pull free of her grip. "Everybody does it."

"They most certainly do not! And you!" Ronald stumbled out of the room, still fixing his pants, "When I get done with you, you'll be back in Harlem where you came from!"

There was an audible gasp from several sections of the party at that remark. Looking around Annette noticed nearly every eye in the room was on them. Not that they seemed to notice.

"Lady," Ronald addressed her with barely contained rage, "Once again I live at 59th and Park and I've about had it up to here with your racist bullshit."

"How dare you!" she exclaimed. "I voted for Obama!"

"Leave him alone mom!"

As the three of them continue to argue loudly, Kathryn murmured in amazement, "I think I just came."

Annette snorted. "Slut."

Eventually, Mrs. Caldwell remembered where she was and turning around to see most of her friends and peers gaping and whispering about her, realized it was time to get the hell out. Dragging a wailing Cecile behind her, she tried to make a quiet exit, but it was no use. The damage was done.

Watching Ronald quietly leave behind them Annette felt a pinch of sympathy towards him. Honestly, he didn't seem like that bad a guy and she truly had nothing against him. Or Cecile for that matter. However, Kathryn was bound and determined to destroy her ex and she figured this was the most efficient way for her to go about it without getting herself in trouble. Not to mention it would put her in a rather agreeable mood. If Kathryn got horny when things didn't go her way, she got down right insatiable when they did.

Leaning in close the brunette murmured, "I'm going to need to insist that you spend the night." Annette turned around to argue only to have Kathryn shut her down with a sharp look. "Don't worry about your father. I'll take care of it." Giving her an anything but wholesome once over she added, "I just got some new handcuffs. I'm eager to break them in."

Annette cocked a brow and sniffed, "You know I don't like to be restrained."

Meeting her gaze, her eyes lit with mischief Kathryn replied, "Who said they were for you?" With a sly grin she turned on her heel and headed back to the party leaving Annette to stare after her in wonder. _Touché_.

* * *

"Why do I get the distinct impression you're ignoring me?"

An hour or so later, Annette had Greg cornered against the baby grand. Looking remarkably like an animal trapped in a cage, his eyes got all big and he practically started to pant. Annette would be lying if she said she didn't get a perverse thrill out of intimidating someone twice her size. Especially this someone.

"H-hey Annette," he greeted her nervously, his gaze searching briefly around the room before landing back on her. "I'm not. I swear."

He was lying of course. She had been keeping tabs on him all evening. Every time she came near his general direction, he immediately turned tail. At one point he even ducked behind the bar. Pussy.

"Somehow I don't believe you," she sighed, grabbing a drink off a passing waiter's tray. "Have you spoken with my father yet."

He shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Good. You remember what we went over?"

"Yes," he replied, just this side of exasperated. When she shot him a sharp look, he suddenly became contrite. "I mean, yes I remember."

Reaching up she patted him condescendingly. "Good boy. I'd hate for you to forget. Then I don't know what I'd do. I just might have to clear my conscious about…a few things."

He noticeably paled at the threat. Swallowing thickly, he assured her, "Don't worry Annette I'll tell him exactly what you told me. No worries."

She supposed she should feel guilty about blackmailing one of her oldest friends, but the way she saw it, she was only carrying out Greg's karmic reward—and benefitting from it in the process. All his life Greg had been an asshole. He was a bully from back in grade school, picking on anyone smaller and weaker than himself. Highschool and puberty only exasperated the situation. He seemed to take particular pleasure in picking on anyone who didn't follow a strict heteronormative agenda. Being a bully was one thing, but being a hypocrite was, in her book, even worse.

If she was being honest however, this was not the real reason she had targeted him. The truth was when Greg miraculously scored a scholarship to Manchester, one of the best schools in the country that was not only located 1200 miles outside of Kansas but could basically guarantee anyone who attended automatic ivy league status, Annette was livid. She had spent most of her adolescence scheming on a way out of Kansas and here this asshole gets handed one on a silver platter just because he can throw a ball a long way. It wasn't fucking fair.

Even when she eventually joined him in Manchester (thanks to not a small amount of work on her part) Annette still held on to her animosity. Her strict stance on hypocrisy stopped her from outing the closet case or even using it against him. But when Kathryn casually dropped the information over pillow talk that Greg had cheated on a final last semester (along with most of the football team) she knew she had him. She could have easily gotten away with her shenanigans this summer without using him as her beard, but it certainly made things easier. Not to mention it was fun.

"It will be a breeze," he assured her falling back into his good-ol boy routine. "Parents love me."

He did have a point. She was about to make him recite what he was going to tell her father, when she noticed something over his shoulder had captured his attention. Annette turned to find a blandly, pretty girl standing on the other side of the room, waving at him. Greg sheepishly waved back.

"Who's that?"

"My girlfriend, Sarah."

Annette cocked a bemused eyebrow. "I see. And does she know you like to suck cock?"

"No!" he hissed, "Jesus." Grabbing her arm, he pulled her further away from the party. Glancing around to make sure there were no obvious prying ears he demanded in a harsh whisper, "How do you know about that anyway?"

She shook her head at his stupidity. "How do you think?" When he merely stared at her with that dopey look on his face, she rolled her eyes. "Don't hurt yourself," she quipped sarcastically. "Who do you think would have told me?"

It took a minute, but he finally got there. "Trevor? He-he told you?"

"Of course. Why do you look so surprised? He's my best friend." Leaning in to him she whispered, "Word of advice, drunk dialing your former hook-up never ends well. If you plan on keeping such explosive secrets, I suggest you learn to hold your tongue or at the very least your liquor."

If it was possible, Greg looked even more pale than he had a few minutes ago. "You're not going to…I mean if it got out—

"Don't worry about, it's not my style. Just do as you're told and we won't have a problem. _Gregster_."

"Thanks," he replied although it was clear from the look on his face that he didn't believe her.

Having grown weary of him she started to walk away only for Greg to follow after. "You know I saw Sebastian the other night."

Annette paused, turning to grab her drink off the piano where she left it. "Did you?" she asked, sounding more unaffected than she felt.

"Yeah the poor guy was a mess. You really fucked him up."

Annette wondered if he expected her to apologize for that. Fat chance. "Yeah, hadn't made any plans to cry about that one," she sniffed turning on her heel. She made it two steps before nearly colliding with her father. "Daddy," she greeted him with false cheer. She only ever used that moniker when in public.

"Annette," he said tensely, gazing at her drink suspiciously. "Club soda?" she offered sweetly. Did he honestly think she was stupid enough to get loaded at a school fundraiser?

He looked past her, his face breaking into a grin at the sight of Mr. All American quarterback hero behind her. "Gregory McConnell, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Annette rolled her eyes as she watched them embrace.

"Hey Mr. H! It's great to see you." Glancing briefly over at her Greg told him, "I was just telling Annette how awesome it is that you guys are here. It's like having a little bit of home in New York."

"Yes, I understand you two have been spending some time together over the summer."

Say what you will about her father, he didn't waste any time. Luckily Greg was well prepared.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, we've been hanging out at the beach and the park, but mostly she's been tutoring me for next semester. Manchester's got an intense season coming up and I really need to make sure my academics are in line. I can't really afford to fall behind. Annette's been amazing, I don't know what I would have done without her. I mean I feel kind of guilty monopolizing all her time this summer."

"Oh, don't be silly," she offered up with an easy smile. "I've enjoyed it. And I'm really proud of you Greg. You've come a long way."

"Thanks," he said, bowing his head sheepishly. Annette was actually impressed. Who knew Greg was such a good little actor? "I mean she's really a great girl, sir. Smart and sweet and—

Annette narrowed her eyes at him. _Don't over sell it idiot._

"—and I mean she's just like a sister to me!"

Her father laughed. "Well that's good to hear. You were starting to sound like you had a little crush on her son!" Greg laughed nervously and Annette shook her head at him. "Well I'm glad you two had fun this summer. Thanks for looking out for her Greg."

Greg smiled weakly. "No problem sir."

Pleased that he appeared to buy their story, Annette tuned them out as they proceeded to talk football stats and the upcoming season. Scanning the party, her eyes landed on Kathryn who was standing at the front of the room, looking like she was about to make a speech. _This should be interesting_.

"Can I have everyone's attention?"

The room slowly fell quite as everyone's attention turned towards their hostess, including her father and Greg. Annette glanced around, quietly in awe of Kathryn's ability to command a room. When she saw she had everyone's attention the brunette began to speak, her voice taking on the qualities of a motivational speaker—commanding but peppy.

"I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for coming out tonight. I know it means so much to not only myself, but to my dear aunt Helen as well. Helen unfortunately couldn't be with us this evening, she's attending a charity conference in London, but I know she sends all of you her love and appreciation." She paused for applause which the room more than happily delivered. Even standing a far distance away Annette could see Kathryn's eyes flicker with excitement as she basked in their approval the bitch was getting off on this, Annette mused with wonder. She didn't know why she was surprised. Adulation was one of Kathryn's top five stimulants.

"Now for the most exciting news of the night. I just received word that we have more than tripled our goal for this evening." More applause. "Thanks to your hard work and your more than generous contributions the students of Manchester Prep can soon look forward to enjoying a new library in the continued pursuit of academic excellence."

As Kathryn continued on about the merits of a Manchester education, Annette's father stepped up beside her. "She's quite the charming young lady," he murmured.

"Mm hmm," Annette hummed absently as she wondered how Kathryn would take to being gagged and blind folded. She never could tell with her. She certainly enjoyed being spanked.

"I'm rather surprised you two get on so well."

The vaguely suspicious tone of her father's voice pulled her from her sexual fantasies. "Well you said you wanted me to make friends. And while Marsha Brady isn't exactly my first choice, she is beloved at Manchester. I assumed you'd be pleased."

She figured it was best to play it off as if she was only pretending to tolerate Kathryn. "I am, she's exactly the sort of influence you need. Perhaps she'll rub off on you."

Annette smirked at his unintentional double entendre. "I certainly hope so," she remarked with phony sarcasm.

"She asked if you could spend the night. Help her with the clean up and then the three of us would have breakfast in the morning. I told her I thought it would be a wonderful idea."

She threw him a sharp, annoyed look over her shoulder. "You _didn't_. Look, I already did my duty for the night, there's no way—

"You're staying," her father cut her off. "There's no negotiation."

"Fine."

Turning back around Annette's sullen expression, briefly morphed into a triumphant grin as she made eye contact with Kathryn. Tonight, was shaping up nicely after all. She was so busy eyefucking the brunette, she didn't notice when another person stepped up to the mike until it was too late.

"Good evening ladies and assholes!"

Sebastian, looking as if he was in the middle of a seven day bender. Odds were good he was. His clothes were rumpled, his face was patchy with scruff and he seemed to have trouble standing up right. Grabbing the microphone out of his step sister's hand he slurred, "Thanks sis, but I got it from here." Then he slapped her on the ass. It was hard enough that the sound reverberated throughout the room. Kathryn looked stunned. Nearly as stunned as the rest of the room.

"Oh my god," Annette muttered under her breath.

"Who is that?" her father asked.

"It's Sebastian Valmont," Greg told him, coming up beside him. He shared an uneasy look with Annette. She wasn't the only one with secrets to hide.

Kathryn meanwhile was trying to wrestle the mic back from Valmont. He held it out of her reach laughing into it. "My sister everyone isn't she something? Sweet and caring and _such_ a good role model." Grabbing her by the waist he tugged her inappropriately close and leered. "Sexy as fuck too." Then he reached around and groped her ass.

A collective gasp erupted from the crowd as Kathryn quickly wiggled out on his embrace, shooting him a murderous look. Sebastian just laughed. "Oh, don't get your panties is a bunch. I would _never_. She's far too much of a tease for that…even though I won that bet. I won it fair and square!"

Kathryn once again tried to take the mic from him, this time getting assistance from another male party goer, but he wouldn't give it up. Instead he continued to ramble. "You all worship her, hell I worshipped her! But you have no idea who she really is. She's a fucking fraud. A phony! If you knew half the shit she has done—

"That's enough Sebastian!" Kathryn finally got the mic out of his hand, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't be stopped. Grabbing his sister gruffly he kissed her roughly on the cheek and murmured something in her ear that made her go pale. Before Annette could question it, Sebastian started to make his way through the crowd, stopping only to grab a glass of champagne.

"Someone needs to get that young man out of here," her father spoke up, already making his way towards him. Annette tried to grab his arm to stop him, but it was too late.

Taking Valmont by the arm, the headmaster told him, "Son I think it's time for you to go sober up."

Sebastian flung his hand away, sneering. Then just as abruptly, his expression changed into a kind of sly look of pleasure. "Oh, you must be out illustrious new headmaster," he greeted him slinging an arm around his neck. "Annette's daddy."

_Shit_.

His father glanced suspiciously her way. "That's right. You know my daughter?"

Sebastian, following his father's stare found her in the crowd. His expression softened for only a moment before twisting into an ugly sneer. "Oh yeah, I know Annette," he slurred suggestively. "She quite the girl and a total bunny in the sack."

"Excuse me?" her father demanded.

Sebastian pushed him away, then stumbled into a table, before righting himself. He edged towards her and Annette was fighting the urge to storm up to him and smack the shit out of him or run away. "I reaaalllyyy loved you," he told her, looking genuinely hurt. "I would have fucking given up everything for you. Y-you fucking—

Before he could finish his thought, Sebastian stumbled inelegantly to the floor. Annette stood glaring at him, daring him to get back up but apparently, he was down for the count. Needing to put a lid on him for the foreseeable future, she hissed at Greg, "Get him out of here."

He hesitated briefly before heading over to Sebastian, helping him off the ground, propping one arm around him. "Come on buddy," he said good naturedly, "Let's go sleep it off."

Kathryn, pushing through the crowd, grabbed his other arm. The two of them dragged him from the room as Sebastian babbled incoherently. When they passed her Kathryn asked tensely, "Annette can you give us a hand?"

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do but she was eager to get out of that room. Annette glanced briefly at her father before following after them.

Kathryn led them out of the party and down the corridor to the bedrooms. She flung open Sebastian's door and the four of them shuffled in. Annette locked it behind them. There was no moment to process what had just happened and how their reputations might have just taken a not insignificant hit. They were too busy making sure Sebastian didn't swallow his own tongue.

Like a general going into battle, Kathryn immediately started handing out orders. "Bring him to the bathroom," she instructed Greg. "Annette get some towels." Doing as she was told she began searching the elaborate marble bathroom for a linen closet.

"Uh, he doesn't look so good," Greg told them, as he slumped a barely responsive Sebastian over the tub.

"Yeah no shit," Kathryn huffed, as she rummaged around her stepbrother's medicine cabinets. "He's going to look a lot worse after I get through with him."

Annette found some towels and handed them over and in turn Kathryn handed her a glass of water. "Here splash some of this on his face. We need to keep him awake."

As she sunk to the floor beside her ex-lover, who looked like he was trying to pass out, she did as she was told. Greg stood over them looking like he was afraid the cops were going to bust in on them at any moment and haul them away. "Uh, maybe we should call an ambulance or something," he stammered. "Or maybe Blaine."

Kathryn cast a brief withering glance in his direction. "To do what suck your cock?" Greg blanched at the realization that someone else knew his secret, but Kathryn didn't care. "Sack up McConnell. This is hardly the first time he's pulled this shit. He's just being dramatic. We'll throw him under the shower and he'll be fine."

Annette wasn't so sure. She kept flicking water at him, but it was making no difference, he was fully passed out. Throwing the whole cup in his face she announced, "I don't think this is working."

Kathryn turned around, her confidence wavering as she sunk to her knees beside him. "Wake up asshole," she ordered grabbing him gruffly by the shoulders and shaking him. "God dammit Sebastian, this isn't cute anymore."

"Wait Kathryn," Annette stopped her. "He's breathing weird."

"Ah man, ah man," Greg moaned, clutching his head as he started to pace the small space. "I can't be here. If anybody finds out I was involved in this, I'm dead."

"Then leave," Annette snapped, having had enough of his whining. "But you better use the back entrance and don't fucking stop to talk to anyone." The last thing she needed right now was for a freaked-out Greg to run into her father. He got one whiff of how bad off Sebastian really was and she'd be the dead one.

Greg wasted no time hauling ass out of there. "Pussy," Annette muttered under her breath.

Kathryn continued to shake her brother until something fell from his jacket and rolled across the marble title. Annette scrambled after. It was a pill bottle. An empty bill bottle to be exact.

Showing it the Kathryn the brunette paled. "Mother fucker," she hissed.

"Maybe Greg is right. Maybe we should—

"No," she interjected. "No, I know what to do." She started to turn him over, so he was slumped over the tub."

"What are you doing?" Annette asked even as she helped her.

"Trying to save on clean up. Here hold open his mouth." She did as she was told, prying Sebastian's mouth open with her fingers while Kathryn turned on the water in the tub and ran her hands under it.

Annette got an uneasy feeling about this. "You know what you're doing?"

"Of course," she replied airily, tossing the hair out of her face. "I do it to myself every other day."

Before she could question her anymore, Kathryn threw an arm around her stepbrother then abruptly shoved her fingers down his throat. Annette jumped. "Jesus Christ what are you…"

"What does it look like?" she grunted. "Come on Sebastian, give it up. Come on baby. Don't you want to be thin and pretty?"

Annette cocked a brow at her trite monologue. She wondered how she was keeping her shit together or if it was all an act. Despite what Kathryn said, she knew what Sebastian meant to her.

When he started gagging, Annette had to stop herself from doing the same. "Shit. You're hurting him."

"I'm helping him," she insisted.

As it turned out she was right.

A second later Sebastian started vomiting all over the tub. Annette immediately recoiled to keep away from the spray, but Kathryn remained, forcing the rest of it out of him. "That's good," she praised as he continued to vomit up his pill bottle along with whatever else he had in his stomach. "That's my boy."

When he eventually emptied himself, he slumped against Kathryn who held on to him fiercely, caressing his hair. "You're going to be fine," she told him, her wide eyes and trembling voice clearly betraying her cool demeanor. Kissing his head, she muttered, "Fucking moron."

Sagging against the porcelain tub, Annette watched them more than a little in awe of the brunette. She knew Kathryn was fierce and not to be trifled with and yes maybe on some occasions a tad psychotic, but she didn't think she had this in her. "You saved his life," Annette told her.

Kathryn stared back at her, unimpressed with the compliment. "Let's not be dramatic. Hand me a towel?"

Annette retrieved a towel from the vanity and handed it over, watching as she cleaned herself up, making a face as she did. "God I'm a mess. I'm going to need ten showers to get the stench of vomit off me."

"Just like old times, huh sis?" Sebastian spoke, his voice horse and barely audible.

Kathryn cleaned his face. "I could fucking kill you."

"Ditto," he replied, but his expression was almost affectionate. Watching them Annette was not for the first time, struck by how tight and twisted this bond was between them. They lashed out and did cruel things to each other, said the most horrible shit but it was obvious at the root of all that animosity there was more than a kernel of affection.

"We should get him out of here," Annette told her, suddenly feeling the insistent need to be useful. "Get him cleaned up."

"How about we all take a shower?" Sebastian slurred.

"How about not," Kathryn replied. Turning to her she asked, "Help me get him up?"

The two of them somehow managed to get the still shit faced boy, on his wobbly feet and drag him back to the bedroom where they deposited him on the bed. Catching their breath, they stood over him. "Get undressed, Kathryn ordered him.

"Make me," he laughed.

She looked upwards. "Fuck me."

"Okay."

Grabbing her by the wrist he tugged her down onto the bed with him. Kathryn let out a high squeal as she simultaneously squirmed out of his grip and hit him in the chest. "Let go," she ordered as she struggled with him. Looking over her shoulder at her she asked, "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?"

Annette shrugged with a smirk. "You look like you have things in hand."

When Kathryn threw her a sharp, unamused look Annette did as she asked. She took a particular pleasure in digging her nails into Sebastian's wrists as she held him down while Kathryn pealed off his vomit covered shirt. "Christ, I forgot how handsy you get when you're loaded," she huffed at her step brother. "Hold him down while I take off his pants."

"Now that sounds like a good time," Sebastian giggled, his head swinging over to look at her. "You know you made the sweetest little noises when I ate your pussy did you know that? Are you really telling me I didn't make you cum?"

"Ugh," Annette's nose wrinkled in revulsion. "Can't I just knock him out?"

"We'll call that plan B," Kathryn drawled as she stripped off his pants. Thankfully the perv wasn't getting overly excited by any of this. Small favors. When he was in nothing, but his boxers Kathryn climbed off the bed and Annette followed suit. "That's as clean as you're going to get tonight. Now go to bed and sleep it off."

"You can't tell me what to do bitch," he replied but he was already snuggling up against his pillow. "Go get me some more champagne."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I need to change," she announced, taking off her dress before disappearing into Sebastian's closet. "It looks like our night of debauchery is going to have to wait," she called out, the door half closed behind her. "I can't leave him alone tonight, he's liable to choke on his own vomit."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Annette quipped.

Glancing back at the boy in the bed she was startled to find him awake and smiling up at her. There was something about that smile of his. It was entirely too smug and knowing. In that moment something clicked, something she should have realized from the start.

Annette followed Kathryn into the closet, closing the door behind her. Kathryn had stripped off her dress and was now wearing one of Sebastian's dress shirts. She looked far more sexy in it than he ever did. "Are you pissed?" she asked.

Annette shook her head. "No…not about that. You certainly know how to throw a party."

"Just your typical Upper East Side clusterfuck." The brunette pulled her hair back out of her face and tossed her dress in Sebastian's laundry hamper. "Look, if you're worried about Sebastian's little performance earlier, don't be. I'll handle it."

Of that she had little doubt. If this night had proven anything it was that when it came to bullshitting adults, Kathryn was the undisputed queen. This wasn't what was nagging her.

"You know when I saw him tonight, I assumed we had done that to him. Pushed him over the edge. And when we found that pill bottle…" she trailed off, noting how Kathryn's face seemed to darken at the reminder. She had definitely been scared earlier. Much more scared than she let on. "I thought it was deliberate. I thought he was trying to hurt himself."

"Wasn't he?"

Annette shook her head, edging closer to her. "No, showing up wasted, humiliating us in public. That was _deliberate sabotage_. Sebastian got himself loaded up and purposely kamikazed himself into this party to fuck with us. Don't you see? It was a warning shot."

Kathryn didn't appear particularly shocked by his revelation. "Huh," she remarked, arms to her chest.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I do, it sounds like a typical Sebastian play—messy, impulsive, brash. Subtlety was never really his forte. Up until recently he's never really given a damn about consequences either. I'm sure he didn't anticipate nearly getting himself killed."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Recalling how Kathryn seemed to know exactly how to handle a messy Sebastian she remarked, "He knew you'd be here to clean him up. After all you've done if before haven't you?"

Kathryn met her stare, her face unreadable as she replied, "Yeah and he's returned the favor on more than one occasion." Sighing, she went for the door handle. "Look I warned you, Sebastian isn't just going to go away. We'll put an end to his bullshit soon enough, but not tonight. I'm exhausted."

So was she, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that this evening signaled something. Sebastian had been pleasantly out of their orbit for the past couple weeks, but now that he was back, Annette felt as if she was losing her footing. And possibly her girl.

"Are you going to stay the night?" Kathryn asked her as they left the closet.

"No, I should probably head home. I'm sure my father will have a million questions." She sighed, "That should be fun."

Kathryn leaned over her brother examining him. "He's asleep," she whispered, caressing his hair, "Thank god for small favors." She turned around. "I'm going to go make sure the staff wrapped up the party. Do you mind watching him for a moment?"

Annette nodded as Kathryn passed by, gently touching her shoulder as she exited. Turning her attention to the boy in the bed, she eyed him suspiciously. She took a seat beside him and poured out a glass of water, momentarily fantasizing about dumping it all over his head.

Suddenly Sebastian's eyes opened. It was like a horror movie where the villain suddenly awakens after the supposed final blow. Annette jumped, spilling her water on the bedspread. "Shit," she hissed under her breath. Had he been awake the whole time?

"You do know," he spoke sounding more like his overly articulate self and not the slobbering drunk he'd been all night, "I'm not going to let the two of you live happily ever after, don't you?"

Smiling sweetly, she replied, "Look who's awake. Did you have a nice rest?" Letting her smile fall she sneered, "I should have let you choke to death."

Sebastian stretched and let out a humorless laugh. "Bitch, when I get done with the two of you, you're going to wish you had."

"You honestly think you _did_ anything here tonight?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, _she_ seemed kind of freaked out." He tailed a finger up her bare arm and Annette immediately shrugged it off, like she was trying to dislodge an irritating insect. "But you are right. This was nothing, this was just me clearing my throat." Leering at her he remarked, "Wait until I really get started."

Annette wasn't about to back down or show fear. She's wasn't that girl. He'd learn soon enough.

Leaning in closer to him she smiled. "Bring it on asshole."


	6. The Gory Details, Part I

**Chapter 5: The Gory Details, Part I**

* * *

It was barely noon on a Sunday and already Kathryn was craving vodka. Contrary to what Sebastian may have written about her, she wasn't a big drinker. Well, not a big _day_ drinker anyway. Today however would be the exception. After the morning she'd had, alcohol was most definitely called for.

Kathryn had just spent the past few hours in full Marcia Brady mode. After the bullshit Sebastian had pulled the night before it had fallen on her to clean up his mess. As always. It would be nice if just once the shoe was on the other foot. What must it be like, she mused, to make a total ass of yourself and be completely confident in the fact that there would be no consequences to answer to? Imagine being able to get as sloppy drunk as you want, fucking whomever you please, say whatever you feel like and never ever have to apologize. Imagine being Sebastian Valmont.

Storming over to the wet bar she fixed herself a drink. Filling her glass with Glenfiddich, her fingers gripped the bottle in anger as she thought about all the ass kissing she had to endure that morning. She had been inside every prominent town house and penthouse across the Upper East Side, spinning lies about her stepbrother's abhorrent behavior. The good part was everyone seemed to buy it. After all Sebastian was hardly the first boy to make a drunken scene at a party. Her purse was filled with rehab recommendations.

Kathryn had even ventured out to Manchester to talk with the headmaster. It wasn't as if he could kick Sebastian out for making a scene _in his own house_, but she thought it best to try to smooth things over anyway seeing as she promised Annette she would. Luckily the headmaster seemed to by her BS about Sebastian getting Annette confused with another girl he had dated over the summer. Unfortunately, when she inquired about speaking with Annette, he told her she was at church. Knowing fully well her girl would rather set herself on fire than attend Sunday mass, Kathryn suspected her father was keeping her stashed away. Or Annette just didn't want to see her.

Feeling suddenly anxious, Kathryn pulled out her cell. It went straight to voicemail. "Hey it's me," she sighed. "I came over earlier, you were at church…" Kathryn let her voice fade into disbelief. "Anyway I smoothed things over with your father. He seemed to buy it. Call me later."

Hanging up she tossed her cell back in her bag and strut angrily towards Sebastian's room. She raised her fist to knock only to pause in mid-air. Kathryn had a quick flash of the night before when she accidentally fell asleep beside him in bed. She awoke that morning to find him wrapped around her, drooling on her neck. A few months ago she wouldn't have thought anything of it, but things had changed between them. Needless to say, Kathryn had snuck out before he woke up.

Deciding to forego knocking all together, she threw open her stepbrother's door only to find him awake and showered, dressed in one of his silk robes. He looked up from his book as she entered, his face inscrutable. "Morning."

"Afternoon actually," she corrected him. To make her point, she crossed the room and threw open the heavy drapes. Sunshine poured obnoxiously into the room, bathing the room in bright light. Kathryn smirked with malicious glee when Sebastian reacted like a vampire, cringing and shrinking from the light. "How's your head?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"It feels like it's been run through a compactor. I've had worse." Sebastian reached for the drink in her hand only for her to hold it out of reach. Sighing he picked him book back up. "Where have you been? Wait, don't tell me, Sunday mass?"

"I wish," she grumbled, laying out across the foot of his bed. She momentarily had a thought that she shouldn't be doing this, but it was so second nature to be with him like this she waved away any feelings of uneasiness. "I've been out cleaning up your mess."

Reaching into her cleavage, she retrieved the few pieces of paper she stuck there earlier and tossed them at Sebastian's lap. "What are these?" he asked disinterestedly.

"Rebab recommendations. Mrs. Van Horn thinks she can get you into Promises."

Sebastian flicked them away with his thumb and index finger, sending them toppling onto the rug. "Tell Mrs. Van Horn she can shove her recommendations up her saggy ass."

"You should be thanking me," she grumbled into her vodka. "I spent all morning kowtowing to those assholes so they wouldn't rat you out to the parental units."

Sebastian let out a sharp, humorless laugh, eyes still on his book. "I wouldn't hold my breath. Besides we both know it's not my ass you're trying to save." He tore his gaze away from the book and stared her down hard, daring her to argue with him. Pretending to grow bored, Kathryn looked away. "Where's your partner in rug munching this morning?"

"Her father has her locked up. I imagine from your terrible influence." She raised her glass in a mock salute. "So, thanks for that."

Smirking into his book he replied, "You're welcome."

"Speaking of Annette." Kathryn sat up a bit straighter. "She has this theory. She thinks you purposely got loaded last night and swallowed a bottle of pills just to fuck with us." When he said nothing in return Kathryn found herself growing angry. "It was stupid and reckless Sebastian. I thought I taught you better than that."

Looking up at her, his expression mocking he asked, "What, that somewhere between your lesson on how to be a backstabbing bitch or the merits of being a coke whore?"

This was pointless. Getting up from the bed she sighed, "Well you certainly took my lesson on how to be a catty bitch to heart. If I want to be insulted, I'll call up mother. Have a nice afternoon Sebastian."

Before she could leave he snagged her by the wrist. "We have some unfinished business first."

Turning to face him she wondered what he could be eluding to. When it dawned on her she yanked herself free of his grip. "Forget it," she huffed, "I told you I don't fuck losers."

His mouth quirked up in a tight grin. "Please, as if I have any more interest in your tainted twat."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want the story." When she just regarded him with confusion, he sighed. "I want to know everything that went down this summer between you two. How you met, how you set me up, all of it."

This…she hadn't been expecting. Kathryn blinked down at him, processing the request. "We already told you everything."

"You told me the broad strokes," he argued. "I want all the gory details."

"_Why_?"

He shrugged. "Curiosity?"

Kathryn wasn't buying it. "Yeah right. You probably have this place rigged with bugs so you can record it and get your pathetic revenge. I'll pass."

"I'm not recording anything." As an aside he muttered, "Although that would have been a good idea."

Rolling her eyes at his foolishness, she headed for the door only for him to call out to her, "You owe me." Kathryn paused, cursing herself for even humoring him before turning around. All earlier humor had vanished from his face. "After all the bullshit you put me through this summer, _you owe me_ Kathryn. At the very least I deserve to know the truth. Please."

She should have just strut right out of there as easily as she sailed in, but something in his tone got to her. Kathryn couldn't fathom why he wanted to hear about this, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to give him the rundown. Besides it wasn't as if she was going to tell him _everything_.

With a put upon sigh she relented. "Fine." She flopped down on the bed. "Where would you like me to start?"

Sebastian closed the book in his lap. "Start at the very beginning. How did you meet?"

"We told you. Orientation."

"And did you know you wanted to fuck her right away?"

Kathryn paused, caught off guard by the blunt question. So that's what this was about. He really did want all the dirty details. Well she'd be happy to play. "Yes I did," she replied honestly. Kathryn stretched out once again along the foot of the bed, resting her head in her hand. Thinking back on that afternoon she remembered, "I saw her from across the room and I thought…" meeting his gaze she hesitated a beat before finishing. "I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." Sebastian flinched, clearly not expecting such honestly. Kathryn felt a prickle of pleasure as she continued. "It was like, I don't know Christmas morning or something. To say I was attracted to her is a gross understatement." Kathryn finished off her drink, ice cubes clanging loudly in the silence. "Anyway, I've only ever had that reaction to someone once before."

She said it, knowing she would throw him off and because it was true. Sure enough, Sebastian appeared momentarily taken aback by the confession. Kathryn smirked slyly at his stupefied reaction, not commenting on it. "Your aunt introduced us. She was even better close up. Smart, articulate, great ass. If it's any consolation, I completely bought into her act as well."

"Not really," he sighed. "And did she buy into yours?"

Kathryn shook her head. "Not at all, she saw right through me, not that she led on of course. In any event, I knew I had to have her. We made plans to meet up later that week to go over her curriculum. When I found out about her manifesto, I changed our meet up to the next day…"

..

"_I read your manifesto."_

_Annette looked up from the picture she was examining on her bureau. A pretty pink blush covered her soft cheeks. "You did?"_

_Annette had just arrived and Kathryn hadn't wasted any time leading her back to her bedroom. She had greeted her in a practically sheer dress, her black lace bra and panties unapologetically on display. The blonde's gaze had lingered a tad longer than was polite before looking away and stammering out some compliments about her house. Kathryn was almost disappointed by how easy this seduction would be._

_Sitting poised on her bed, pretending to be engaged with her phone she replied, "Yes, I found it…interesting."_

_Annette came around the desk, her arms folded to her chest in a clear defensive posture. "Interesting, huh? In what way?"_

_Kathryn pretended to think about it. "I was just a little surprised I guessed. I didn't expect a girl as clearly intelligent as yourself to be so close minded. Then again, given your background I suppose I shouldn't be—"_

"_My background?" she echoed incredulously. "Are you assuming because I'm from a small town, I somehow have different values from people in New York or that I'm too sheltered to know my own mind?"_

"_I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you," Kathryn replied earnestly. _

"_You know I'm rather surprised by this Kathryn. Given your reputation I would think you'd share my beliefs that people shouldn't experience the act of love until they are in love. Let's face it, people our age aren't mature enough to experience those emotions."_

"_I respectfully disagree."_

_The blond flinched. "Are you saying you're not…"_

"_Nope," she replied unapologetically. "I suppose in your eyes that makes me some kind of dirty slut."_

"_No!" Annette shook her head, "No not at all. I didn't mean—_

_Kathryn let out a light peal of laughter. "Relax I was just messing with you." The blonde seemed to relax, rolling her eyes but smiling. "You have your beliefs and I think that's cool. It's also something of a rarity in these parts."_

"_Look I'm not naive. I know writing an article like that is bound to attract some attention and I'm sure all sorts of people are going to see it as some kind of challenge." Annette gave her outfit a brief pointed once over and Kathryn realized that perhaps this seduction wouldn't be so easy after all. "I don't care what people think about me. Haven't you ever believed in anything that hard?"_

_Kathryn looked down at the rosary around her neck and pretended to examine it affectionately. "Of course. You could say god and I have a special connection." Looking up at the blond she added, "But sex and religion aren't mutual exclusive things."_

"_Oh, I know, but my beliefs aren't religious in nature." Annette edged closer to the bed, and Kathryn's eyes drank in the way the silky material of her sun dress clung enticingly to her figure. "The truth is Kathryn, while I can appreciate your beliefs, I'm not religious myself. I don't believe in god."_

_Kathryn looked up at her completely floored. It was so rare people honestly surprised her. "You don't?"_

_Annette took a seat beside her on the alcove bed, her bare knees brushing Kathryn's thighs. Staring into those bright blue eyes of hers, Kathryn suddenly felt uneasy as she realized she wasn't in control of this game anymore. "I don't believe in god Kathryn," the blond repeated her voice smooth and confident, "I believe in me."_

"_I-I," Kathryn shook her head, her dry throat constricting making it difficult to get words out. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a little surprised."_

"_Did I shock you?" she asked, her voice suddenly taking on a lower, more husky quality. "That wasn't my intention. But I feel it's important to be honest, don't you?" Kathryn nodded her gaze suddenly falling to the swell of Annette's breasts before moving back to her face. "I do so admire you. I want us to be friends." She touched her hand, resting on the bed. It felt like an electric shock. "Do you think we can be?"_

_Kathryn nodded, her head swimming with the scent of her, her own cunt pulsing with need. The blond smiled softly. "Good, I think we can learn a lot from each other." Annette's gaze slid down her body and she wet her lips. When she reached out and grasped the cross around her neck Kathryn nearly jumped. She leaned in closer examining it. "What a lovely rosary. You must cherish it."_

"_I-I do."_

"_How sweet." _

_Then, without warning, Annette tugged sharply on the necklace and the next thing she knew she was kissing her. There was nothing sweet or subtle about it either. It was an all consuming, mind melting kind of kiss. It took a moment, but Kathryn's shock soon gave way to lust. Clutching the other girls face she deepened the kiss, her tongue aggressively pushing into her mouth. Annette groaned against her._

_It wasn't until they came up for air and Kathryn saw the smirk on the blonde's face did she realize she was being played. Rather than get angry or demand an explanation she simply marveled, "You're good."_

"_You have no idea," she replied, with a wolfish grin, before launching herself against her once more. _

_The girls fell back into the bed, Annette on top. Normally Kathryn would never allow herself to be dominated so easily. She blamed it on the shock of realizing there might be someone better at this game than her. She didn't think about how natural it felt to have the blonde on top of her, thigh pressing enticingly between her legs, while her nimble fingers made quick work of her dress and her mouth sought out that spot on her neck that made her moan._

_Kathryn's own eager hands yanked on Annette's sundress, trying to remove it. Usually she was so agile and competent at this, but something about Hargrove left her feeling unsure of herself. She felt like the inexperienced virgin. _

_Pulling away, Annette removed her own dress, tossing it carelessly over her shoulder leaving her in a soft pink bra and panties set. She looked deceptively innocent, but the look in her eyes was anything but. Straddling Kathryn's waist, her hungry gaze drank her in. "You know," she mused, "I thought this would be more of a challenge, seducing the student body president."_

_Kathryn quirked an eyebrow. "Sorry to disappoint."_

_Annette smiled slow and lazy as she unfastened Kathryn's bra and exposing her tits. She licked her lips. "Something tells me," she sighed leaning in close, "you couldn't disappoint even if you tried."_

..

"Enjoying yourself?"

Sebastian shifted against the bed, looking away. "Hardly," he replied with a bored sigh. "I've read hotter action in those mommy porn books."

"Sure you have." Kathryn laughed giving a pointed look to the obvious swell in his pajama bottoms that gave away him completely away. "I can stop if you'd like to go take care of that."

Sneering at her he got up from the bed and stumbled over to the bar to fix himself a drink. Kathryn followed him with her gaze. "Aren't you going to ask me how she was?"

"I already had her remember?" he replied over his shoulder.

"No, you had the virgin she was pretending to be. I'm talking about the real deal." When he didn't reply Kathryn rolled onto her back, stretching out like a cat in the hot sun. Thinking back on their first time together her skin grew hot and that familiar insistent throbbing sensation began to gather between her legs. "I have to admit, I always viewed girl on girl as a bit of an appetizer," she mused. "A decadent treat no doubt, but not really satisfying enough to be considered the main course. But with Annette…"

"Yes?"

Kathryn turned around to look at him and slowly grinned. "It was a fucking five course meal." Sebastian sipped his whiskey saying nothing, Kathryn continued, her gaze falling away as she remembered back to that afternoon. "I've never come that hard before. It was instantly addictive."

"Alright I get the point." With a careless wave of his hand he ordered, "Just get on with it. You can keep your lezzy details to yourself."

"Have it your way," Kathryn sighed. "A few hours and several orgasms later, we realized we could be useful to each other…"

..

"_So why the manifesto then?"_

_Annette looked over her shoulder at her as she redressed. "It was the only way I could convince daddy dearest to take the job at Manchester. I have no intention of wasting my life in fucking Kansas playing the happy housewife, squeezing out three kids and attending church every Sunday. I'd rather slit my fucking wrists thank you very much." Getting to her feet, she straightened her dress and added, "If I have to play the self-righteous prude for my final year of high school I will so long as I never have to go back there again."_

_Thinking about her own expectations she was supposed to live up to, perfect daughter, perfect society debutant it felt eerily familiar. "I can relate."_

"_Yeah I thought you could."_

_Kathryn shifted against the pillows where she was laying in a debauched, well-fucked heap. "How did you know? About me, I mean."_

_Annette cocked her head and smiled. "Like recognizing like I guess. Plus, no offense, you're not that great of an actress."_

_Kathryn scowled at the dig. "Tell that to the whole of the Upper East Side. Everybody loves me."_

"_I'm sure they do. You're beautiful and you're charming and you talk a good game but anyone who knows anything about human nature can tell you're a fraud." Sliding a hand up her bare leg she continued, "You're too obvious. You need to learn the fine art of subtlety. Don't slam them over the head. A little tap will sometimes do the trick."_

_Kathryn swatted her hand away irritably. "Thanks for the tip."_

_Annette laughed lightly. "I didn't mean to insult you. You're right, everybody adores you. Clearly you're doing something right." She leaned down and dropped a kiss on her bare thigh, causing Kathryn's annoyance to wither away. "So, can I see you again?"_

_Kathryn paused. The more rational part of her mind told her she shouldn't. Annette was dangerous. She was far too much like herself to be trusted. It would be stupid to get involved with her beyond that afternoon. However, even as she considered this, she knew it was too late. She was already addicted. Still she played it cool._

"_I'm not sure it's wise. After all, we do have our respective reputations to consider." When Annette turned her head, her blue gaze burned into hers. Suddenly Kathryn had troubling swallowing. "Then again," she sighed, "We could probably have some fun. I suppose I could use you."_

"_Yeah, I could __**use**__ you too."_

_Kathryn grinned. Grasping her by the face, she pulled her up until her mouth was mere inches away. "We're friends, right?"_

_Annette smiled, leaning in to close the gap between them. "__**Best**__ friends."_

..

"And that, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship…amongst other things."

Sebastian pulled a face then pushed off the desk in an angry huff. "Jesus, how did I not see any of this was going on?"

"You were a little preoccupied seducing the therapist's daughter." Kathryn stretched. "I told you that was a waste of time."

Sebastian began to pace the length of the bed. "Why didn't you tell me about her? You always tell me about your conquests."

Not always, she thought to herself, but she didn't mention it. "I didn't want you to know about her."

"Why?"

Kathryn thought the answer was fairly obvious, but she explained herself anyway. "Because I knew you would take one look at her and want her for yourself."

Sebastian paused and staring at her he seemed to consider it a moment before nodding in agreement. "You have a point. Wasn't all this cunt lapping cutting into your plans for Cecile?"

She grinned and sat up. "Funny you should mention that…"

..

"_Why not?"_

_Annette tossed down the room service menu she was perusing and shot her an annoyed look. "I told you why not—I don't do virgins. They're too messy, too clingy and not worth the effort it takes to break them in." Smiling slyly, she trailed a finger across her cleavage. "I like sluts…lucky for you."_

_Kathryn swatted her hand away. Pouting she got to her feet and pretended to examine her reflection in the mirror. They were at their room at the hotel. Having just spent the past hour exploring each other in the shower, they were both thoroughly relaxed and Kathryn thought this a good opportunity to ask for the smallest of favors. Unfortunately, Annette wasn't being cooperative._

"_Don't pout Kathryn it will give you wrinkles," she sing songed from her spot on the bed. Kathryn scowled at her reflection in the mirror. "I know, why don't you ask that brother of yours to fuck her? This is right up his depraved ally—messing with innocent, vulnerable women."_

_She had of course considered this. It had been her plan A until she met Annette and realized the blonde's seduction skill likely rivaled her brother's. Kathryn was surprised to hear Annette mention him by name. Since meeting her she had only ever mentioned Sebastian once and that was when she was recounting how he humiliated her ex lover. _

_Knowing she had to tread lightly Kathryn remarked, "From what you told me, your friend Darcy wasn't exactly innocent."_

"_No," she agreed, "But she was vulnerable. Your brother knew that and he used it to take advantage of her."_

_Of course that wasn't exactly how things went down, but Kathryn wasn't about to tell her that. Instead she took a seat beside her on the bed. "Your right. This is a job for someone completely amoral and reprehensible." She grinned. "Sebastian's perfect for the job."_

_Annette cocked a brow. "You almost say that like it's a compliment."_

"_In Sebastian's case it is."_

_She stared at her a moment before straddling her lap. Pinning her to the bed she placed a brief kiss on her lips before asking in a far too casual manor, "So what's the deal between you and your brother?"_

_Kathryn was careful not to respond to the question. "What do you mean? He's my stepbrother."_

"_Oh? I thought I detected something a little Flowers in the Attic, by the way you talk about him." _

_She pushed her away. "What are you saying?"_

_Annette sat up, her expression sober. Kathryn tensed anticipating the accusation. It didn't come. Instead Annette burst out laughing. "Oh my god, I'm just messing with you. You should have seen the look on your face."_

_Kathryn tossed her head back, rolling her eyes in relief. "So very funny."_

_Before anything else could be said on the matter, there was a knock at the door. "That's Blaine," she announced, sliding out from under her. "You better put some clothes on. Pussy makes him nervous."_

..

"You didn't tell her that we…"

When Sebastian let the question hang there unfinished, Kathryn turned around to face him. "Tell her what?"

She of course knew was he was alluding to but she wanted to hear him say it. That they were attracted to each other. That they loved each other. That they were each other's missing half. Any would apply, but he didn't say anything. Instead he stared her down until she grew bored of the game.

"Of course I didn't tell her," she sighed. "I'm not a moron. I had only known her a few weeks." Giving him a pointed look she added, "It would be stupid to hand all my secrets over to a complete stranger after knowing them such a short time."

Sebastian looked away, clearly embarrassed by his own folly. Watching him as he lit a cigarette Kathryn mused, "I am curious about something. How come you never told Annette the truth about Darcy? You had the opportunity that morning at the Michalaks."

His gaze flickered over at her briefly before he turned away shrugging. "I don't know. I have this bad habit of keeping your secrets." Leveling a pointed look at her he added, "It won't happen again."

"Noted. I have a few bad habits of my own regarding you I'd like to break." Like trying to save your stupid life.

Sebastian came back to the bed, collapsing beside her, his long legs stretched out in from of him. He offered her his cigarette. "Well as interesting as all of this is, let's get down to the good stuff."

"I keep trying to tell you," she teased with a flirty smile. "But you keep shutting me down."

"I was referring to when you two bitches decided to betray me."

"Oh. That." Kathryn took one last drag off the cigarette before handing it back to him. "Sorry to disappoint, but it wasn't as dramatic as all that."

_.._

"_You did what?"_

_Grasping her tightly by the hair, Annette jerked her back from between her legs. Kathryn licked her wetness from her lips. She really should have waited until after she finished going down on her before telling her this. Sighing she explained again. "We made a bet."_

_They were in the back of a limo across from the Valmont townhouse, waiting for Sebastian to leave so they could sneak up to Kathryn's bedroom. While they waited Kathryn filled in Annette about the bet while purposely leaving out the exact terms of the wager. Annette as always caught on quick to what she wasn't telling her._

"_So you get his car but what does he get if he wins?"_

_Kathryn thought fast. "I'm his slave for a week."_

"_Which entails what exactly?"_

"_Fetching him drugs, breaking up with his one night stands, who the fuck knows. I'm sure it will be whatever his twisted mind conjures up to torture me." Shaking her head Kathryn pressed, "Anyway it doesn't matter. It's not like he has a chance in hell of winning in the first place."_

"_Of course, he doesn't," Annette sighed, crossing her arms to her chest. "Especially because I won't be around for him to seduce anyway."_

_Kathryn quickly scrambled to the seat beside her. "What are you talking about? Are you going back to Kansas?"_

_Cupping her face, Annette smiled fondly at her. "Bite your tongue, of course not. No, that's why I came to see you today. Mrs. Mickalack, Darcy's mother, invited me to spend the rest of the summer with them in Manhattan. If I can talk my father into it, I'm going to leave Long Island tonight."_

_Kathryn gripped her by the wrist. "You can't."_

_She scowled. "I thought you'd be pleased. It will be a lot easier to see each other if I'm just across the park."_

_This was true but at the moment all she could think about was that fucking wager. "Yes but it will be much more difficult to win the bet if you're not staying with Helen. My darling brother is likely to get…creative if he doesn't have immediate access to you."_

"_Creative how?" Annette began kissing down her neck, while her hand groped her tits. "By the way this corset is ridiculous and you should be required to wear it at all times."_

_Kathryn pushed her away. "Pay attention. Creative like showing up where ever you are. Learning your schedule. If he finds out you're visiting a hotel regularly or god forbid his own house, he'll probably get suspicious."_

"_So I tell him I'm not fucking interested and it's not going to happen. Problem solved."_

"_Then he'll get suspicious and start digging around into your past." Grasping her by the chin, Kathryn looked at her sharply. "Girls like us tend to have a few skeletons in our closet. Am I wrong?"_

_The look on the blonde's face told her clearly she wasn't. Annette yanked her chin back. "Shit," she grumbled. "Why would you make this bet?"_

_Kathryn shrugged. "I was bored. Plus look at it," she pointed out the jag sitting idly at the curb across the street. "Imagine driving up to Manchester on the first day of school in that."_

_Annette wasn't impressed. "Kathryn, I don't give a shit about his car. This summer is the only freedom I'm going to have before my father returns. I do not want to waste it fending off the advances of your creepy brother."_

"_Look, we can still see each other we just have to be careful. As for Sebastian, all you have to do is string him along for a few weeks until school starts. Then after I win the bet you can blow him off however you wish."_

_She appeared less than convinced. Going in for the kill, Kathryn wrapped her arms around her and tugged her close. Nuzzling her cheek, she cooed seductively, "Come on do it for me." When Annette didn't budge she rolled her eyes and sighed, "Alright then do it for Darcy. Haven't you wanted to pay him back for what he did to her?" She flinched and her body lost some of its tension. Knowing she was on the right track she pushed a little harder, whispering in her ear, "Come on Hargrove, do it, crush him. It will make you a legend."_

_She let out a long sigh and turned to her, still scowling. "You're a manipulative cow Merteuil," she spat petulantly but with obvious fondness. "Alright, fine. Fuck it. Let's do it."_

_Kathryn smiled brightly in triumph. "That's my girl."_

_Annette just shook her head. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret this?"_

..

"Famous last words, huh?"

Kathryn hummed absently in reply. She wasn't all together sure Annette regretted anything that went on that summer. At least in relation to him. Not _yet_ anyway.

"In any event," she continued, "Annette went back to the country and played the part of the self righteous virgin. You of course bought it—

"So did you," he reminded her through gritted teeth.

Ignoring him she continued, "You were infatuated with her from the go—beautiful, smart and she called you on your shit. How could you resist?"

Sebastian sneered at her mocking. "I get the point."

"Annette played it exactly right—except for one instance. She fucked up when she mentioned the letters."

Stubbing out his cigarette he asked, "What do you mean?"

Kathryn hesitated a beat knowing how her stepbrother was likely to lose his shit when this particular detail was revealed. She had to tread carefully. "Honestly I didn't expect you to get so hung up on that little detail. But then you went to Blaine to get answers—

"Wait a minute." Sebastian sat up, eyes narrowing in disbelief. "He told you that?"

"Of course. I was angry when I discovered he had highjacked our game so he could get some kind of petty revenge on Greg McConnell of all people—

"Oh, as opposed to your noble pursuit of justice against Court Reynolds," he quipped. "By the way I'm starting to think that poor bastard was the smartest person in this story to get the hell away from you at the get go."

Not amused, Kathryn spat, "Do you want me to finish this story or not?"

"Go on"

"Like I was saying, thanks to Blaine and your blackmail of Greg, we had to think of some name to give him."

"Hold up," he interjected once again. "Are you telling me it wasn't Mrs. Caldwell who wrote those letters?"

Kathryn shot him a look like he was the stupidest person alive. "Silly rabbit," she cooed, "Don't you get it? There were never any letters in the first place."

..

"_Oh my god!" Appearing from where she had been buried between her thighs, red faced and mouth slick with girl cum, Annette smiled triumphantly. "I got it!"_

_Reluctantly, Kathryn pulled herself away from Annette's cunt. Drunk on lust and a bottle of Dom 1982, she was only half listening. "Yeah, I got it to." She clumsily reached for the blonde's head, trying to guide her back to her needy pussy. Groaning when Annette bobbed out of her reach she whined, "I was almost there. Come on."_

_Annette grabbed her hand. "Hold on a sec," she instructed patiently. "I know who we should tell him wrote the letters." Tossing back her head she laughed, "God it was so obvious, it's embarrassing it took me this long to figure out."_

"_Who?" Kathryn barked impatiently._

_Eyes alight with mischief Annette revealed, "Mrs. Caldwell. Think about it, it's perfect. You tell him she's been the one talking shit about him he'll want to pay her back. What better way then seducing her pride and joy and ruining her chances with Court."_

_Kathryn's face lit up and slow smile worked it's way onto her flushed face. She said nothing at first. Instead, she untangled herself from the pretzel they were currently entangled in and crawled across Annette's naked, sweaty body. Pinning the smaller girl to the bed she shook her head and marveled, "Jesus, fucking, Christ, you're good."_

..

"Get off!"

Kathryn attempted to wiggle free from her stepbrother, but it was no use. Sebastian had her pinned to the mattress, his manicured nails digging into her delicate wrists as he held her down. Hovering over her he spat, "You fucking lying bitch."

"Let me up asshole," she demanded as haughty as she could manage given her current situation.

"You set me up," he hissed over pronouncing each word. "I _never_ would have touched Cecile had you not made me think her mother was messing with my shit."

"Yes, I know, that was kind of the point." She stopped fighting him and let him get his tantrum over with. "Truth be told I'm rather surprised you bought it in the first place. I mean it was a rather large coincidence. The person sabotaging your plans just so happens to be connected to the person I'm trying to ruin. It's a little obvious."

The anger seemed to drain out of his face as he let go of her with a dramatic huff and sat back on his hunches. Still straddling her, Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. "God, you're right. How did I not see it?"

Kathryn sat up on her elbows. "You didn't want to see it."

Giving her a wary side eye, he confessed, "I have to admit that was a master stroke. Annette really is better than you at this game."

She suspected he was only saying this to bait her but she didn't fall for it. Namely because it was true. "I'm well aware."

"Is that when she started blackmailing Greg?"

"Shortly after. Your aunt was starting to get nosy about where she was going all the time so she needed a cover. Closet case McConnell fit the bill nicely."

"And your bet? When did that start?"

"The same afternoon you found out about Mrs. Caldwell. You remember that afternoon on the couch don't you brother dear?"

He scowled, not amused. "Vaguely."

"Well, it turns out we had an audience…"

..

"_What are you doing here?"_

_Kathryn had returned to her room, intent on rubbing one out after he little seduction of Sebastian, only to find Annette in her room. Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, arms crossed to her chest, she looked pissed. "I wanted to surprise you. I didn't anticipate the incestuous floor show. Care to explain?" _

_Kathryn froze. She hadn't intended Annette to find out like this. Truth be told she hadn't intended her to find out at all. Deciding to go on the defensive she replied with all the haughty annoyance she could muster, "You were spying on me?"_

_As always Annette wasn't impressed. "Save it Kathryn. I came to tell you how it went today only to find you giving your __**brother**__ a lap dance. What the fuck?"_

_She sighed. "I suppose it would be cliched to say it wasn't what it looked like."_

"_Yeah, especially since it was clearly __**exactly**__ what it looked like." Outside of the firm set of her jaw and sharp glint in her eye, it was hard to tell Annette was even angry. She was always so in control of her emotions. Kathryn hated it. Suddenly she was in the mood to provoke._

_Smiling teasingly she slithered up to her and slipped her hands around her waist. "Did you enjoy it?" she murmured silkily against her cheek._

"_What?"_

"_Watching us." Kathryn let her teeth graze her neck. "Did it turn you on?"_

_Annette pushed her away and Kathryn giggled. "You think you're so cute don't you."_

"_I have my moments."_

_They stared each other down for a beat and then suddenly Annette was advancing on her. Kathryn found herself backing away, not trusting the dark look on the blonde's face. Clearly she was in for it now._

_Before she could make some kind of apology, Annette had her by the neck. "What kind of rich kid bullshit are you two playing?" _

"_We're not," Kathryn replied, wincing when Annette's fingers dug into her throat. "He has no idea who you really are."_

"_Yeah there seems to be a lot of that going around." Annette squeezed harder, but her tone remained conversational. "So how long have you been fucking your brother?"_

"_I'm not," she managed to grit out. "It's just a bet. And he's my step-brother."_

"_As if it matters. So what are the real stakes of the bet?"_

"_I win I get his car, he wins…I'll fuck his brains out." And because she enjoyed provoking her whenever the moment presented itself Kathryn added, "And he can put it anywhere."_

_Annette's brows shot up at this revelation and she shook her head, "Jesus, what exactly have I wandered into?"_

_Having had quite enough of being pushed around, Kathryn flung her hand off her neck and told her nastily, "You're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. You better learn to keep up." _

_Kathryn brushed past her only to be pushed back wards into the bed. Before she could get her bearings, Annette forced her onto her stomach and grabbing a fistful of her hair she held her down. "Oh I think I can keep up just fine, princess," she murmured tauntingly against her ear, "The question is can you?"_

_Annoyed at the manhandling, but oddly turned on by it at the same time, Kathryn, face pressed against the silk duvet huffed out, "Do your worst bitch."_

_Annette chuckled as she pushed a hand up her dress. Her fingers wasted no time seeking out her over heated cunt. Kathryn whimpered at the familiar sensation. "My my," Annette clucked, "Your panties are soaked. I'd say someone enjoyed rubbing up against big brother."_

_Kathryn flipped her head around so she could see her. "Jealous?" _

"_Maybe," she replied easily. Her index finger pushed inside her while her thumb ghosted over her clit. It was a tease. Kathryn pushed back against her, trying to drive her finger in deeper but Annette held her still. She whined in frustration. Annette ignored her, continuing on with her interrogation. "So you haven't fucked but have you sucked his cock?"_

"_No."_

"_Has he eaten you out?" She added a second finger but still continued her maddeningly shallow thrusts._

"_No," she replied even harder. "We haven't done anything."_

"_But you like to tease him, right? Bait him with your cunt, taunt him with your tits. Poor guy, I almost feel sorry for him. Being so close to this and knowing he'll never have it."_

"_Well," Kathryn whimpered, grinding back against her hand, "Never say never."_

_Annette's hand paused. "So you admit you want to fuck him."_

"_Maybe"_

"_And where would you like him to fuck you? Here?" she shoved her fingers in gruffly to the knuckle causing Kathryn to cry out at the sudden sharp intrusion. Annette fucked her hard. She bit her lip, she could feel her orgasm approaching. However before she could cum Annette pulled her fingers away. "Is that really where you want him…or perhaps somewhere a little more…" she pressed a wet finger against the bud of her ass, "…uncharted."_

"_Annette," she whimpered, "Please." Kathryn didn't know if she was asking her to stop or continue. She had lost complete control of the situation. _

_Annette didn't take pity on her. She shoved her finger crudely up her ass. Her finger was wet with her juices but it still hurt. Kathryn fisted the sheets and cursed against the duvet. "This is what you want isn't it, it's what you offered up. You want him to fuck you here. Stretch your pretty little ass, nice and wide." Her finger moved faster in time with her clit rubbing._

"_Y-yes," Kathryn admitted, now pushing back against her hand wantonly. This was hardly the first time Annette had fingered her there but never quite this aggressively. "Fuck don't stop."_

"_I will, unless you admit it, admit you want him, admit you always have."_

_Half out of her mind with lust she cried out, "Yes! Yes I want him, I want him to fuck me." Looking back at her she admitted with a gasp, "But I want you more."_

_Annette looked genuinely stricken by the admission. Watching her, Kathryn came in that moment, her orgasm making her body jerk sharply against her hand as she buried her face into the sheets. She laid there for a beat, her body trembling in aftershocks as Annette slowly removed her fingers from her body then turned her over. Leaning over her, her expression now softened she brushed the hair out of her face. "I'm sorry," she murmured sheepishly. "I got a little carried away."_

"_It happens," she replied, her voice rougher than normal. _

_Cupping her face Annette leaned in to kiss her but before she could Kathryn quickly flipped the script. Grabbing the blonde by the back of the head she reversed their positions so she was on top. Annette let out a shriek of surprise that soon morphed into a moan when Kathryn started to work a hand into her jeans. "Now it's my turn to have a little fun," she taunted, her free hand reaching into one of the drawers of her bed to retrieve her favorite vibrator._

"_What are you going to do with that."_

_Smiling knowingly Kathryn told her, "I'm going to show you what happens to eavesdroppers around here."_

..

"Jesus Christ," Sebastian exclaimed with a full drama queen eye roll. "Does every story end with you two fucking?"

Kathryn shrugged, "Pretty much. Oh, unclench," she sneered. "Stop acting like you're not enjoying it."

"I'm not," he argued petulantly.

Grinding down against his prominent erection that was poking her in the ass she replied tauntingly, "Somehow I don't believe you. Besides you used to enjoy hearing the details of my conquests."

"Things change." Then as if to emphasis his point, Sebastian climbed off her. Putting some distance between them, suddenly all business he said, "So back to the bet. How did it start?"


	7. The Gory Details, Part II

**Chapter 6: The Gory Details, Part II**

* * *

"So back to the bet. How did it start?"

..

"_You know, I could make him fall in love with me," Annette announced rather out of the blue._

_Kathryn, who was in the middle of rolling a joint, paused and looked up at her. "What?"_

_The blonde laid opposite her, wrapped up in their sex stained sheets, gave her an odd sort of smirk. "Your brother. I bet I can make him fall for me. For real."_

_She let out a dismissive snort. "I doubt it."_

_Annette playfully pinched her leg. "Why, because he's so in love with you?"_

_Kathryn swatted her hand away distractedly as she looked for her lighter. She had a feeling she was going to need this joint if they were to continue on with this conversation. "No. I told you, it's not like that between us."_

"_Oh, what's it like then?" _

_The humor had vanished from her face, replaced by a sort of intense curiosity. Kathryn looked up at her not really knowing how to answer her question she let it lay there. Instead she asked, "Anyway, why would you want to?" She took a drag then handed it over to her. "I thought you couldn't stand him?"_

_Annette shrugged, popping the joint in her mouth. "I don't know, it would be amusing. Plus, he has a really nice cock."_

..

"Wait. What?" Sebastian sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I thought she was gay?"

Kathryn shot him a side ways glance. "Why? Because she didn't fall in love with you?"

"No, I think it had to do with all the pussy she was eating."

"Yeah, I wasn't exactly an innocent bystander," she reminded him, "Do you think I'm gay too? You've fucked a few boys in your time I wouldn't label you gay. She's…fluid."

Sebastian shook his head, clearly annoyed by this turn of events. "Unbelievable."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Can I finish?"

..

"_When did you see his cock?" Kathryn tried not to sound as annoyed as she felt by this revelation, but she suspected she failed miserably. _

_Smirking around the joint in her mouth, Annette removed it and explained, "The other night when he invited me swimming. When I got back to the pool the asshole was waiting for me. Naked. Apparently, the juvenile idiot thought I would take one look at him and spread my legs." She shook her head. "Anyway, it wasn't bad. I suppose sleeping with him wouldn't be completely unpleasant. So long as he kept his mouth shut."_

"_But I would lose the bet!"_

"_But you'd win the war," she reminded her. "Besides, after what I witnessed this afternoon something tells me you wouldn't exactly be opposed to the idea."_

_Kathryn leveled her best glare at her. "I was toying with him."_

"_I'm sure you were," Annette replied with a mocking grin. "That doesn't mean you don't want to fuck him. You admitted it, remember?"_

"_I was two seconds from coming, I would have admitted I like Polyester," she quipped._

"_Uh-huh. Well anyway, if you really can't bring yourself to go through with it, I'm sure you'll figure out a way to wiggle out of it. You're a resourceful girl Kathryn." _

_She shook her head. "This is all moot anyway. He'll never fall in love with you. Lust maybe, but not love."_

_Annette studied her a moment and Kathryn knew what she was about to propose even before she opened her mouth. She also knew there was no backing out of it._

"_Care to put your money where your mouth is princess?"_

_Here we go. Kathryn didn't flinch. "Perhaps. What are the terms?"_

_Annette reached over and opened one of the drawers lining her bed. Pulling out a rather intimidating dildo she replied, "Winner tops. For a week."_

_As far as terms went it wasn't anything groundbreaking, but that wasn't the point. The terms were inconsequential. It was the bet itself that mattered. If Annette won, Kathryn would be giving up more than her pride in bed. Letting that sink in she found herself asking honestly, "Why are you really doing this? I thought you hated him."_

"_Oh, I do. I despise him, that's the whole point. I'm going to get him to fall in love with me, trust me and then I'm going to crush him. When I get through with him Sebastian Valmont will never trust another female again."_

"_Jesus"_

_Annette met her gaze. "Too much? I'm surprised I'd thought you of all people would want to see him brought down a peg or too. Aren't you sick of him getting to get away with behaving however he wants with no consequences, while you have to pretend to be Miss school spirt to protect your reputation? Why should he get to take whatever he wants, whomever he wants and destroy them and never have to answer for it?"_

"_So, this is about Darcy?"_

"_Not just Darcy, but all the females he's messed with and hurt. He has it coming and you know it."_

_She wasn't wrong of course. It galled her that Sebastian was allowed to behave however he wanted and suffered nothing as a result. That being said, Kathryn suspected this wasn't all about avenging Darcy and the women Sebastian wronged. However, she suspected Annette would deny it if she brought it up so she kept it to herself._

"_Well what's it going to be Merteuil?" With a coy, teasing grin she asked, "Are you in or are you out?"_

_They both knew she was in as soon as the challenge was laid out on the table. There was never any question. Kathryn extended her hand and Annette shook it then brought it to her mouth for a kiss. Kathryn smirked. "Happy hunting Hargrove."_

..

"And you just went along with it?" Sebastian demanded, resuming his earlier huff.

Kathryn shrugged indifferently. "I honestly didn't think she stood a chance." Leveling a wary look at him she added, "Turns out I wildly overestimated you. Who knew under all that misogynistic bullshit, beat the heart of a closet romantic?"

"Fuck off," he sneered.

"Need I remind you, had you lived up to what you were advertised as, namely a heartless bastard, none of this would have happened."

"I fell in love with her!" he exclaimed. "I won't apologize for acting like a human being."

"Good for you," she spat with little bite.

Sebastian jumped up from the bed and resumed pacing. "You know what I think?"

"I'm waiting with bated breath"

"I don't think any of this had to do with Darcy or Cecile or any of the other girls I fucked with. This had to do with you and me. She was jealous."

Kathryn sat up and delivered a slow sarcastic clap. "Give the boy a prize. Of course that's what it was about. Jesus, are you even paying attention?" Sighing she shook her head as she thought back on it. "I tried to tell her it was just a bet and it didn't mean anything, but she didn't buy it."

Sebastian stopped his pacing and leveled a look at her. "Maybe you shouldn't have told her you wanted me to sodomize you."

Kathryn met his mocking gaze and scowled. Leaning over the foot board, getting up on her knees so they were at eye level she challenged, "Maybe you shouldn't have taken the bet in the first place."

His gaze lingered on her lips and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her before he abruptly turned on his heels and strut over to the desk. Squeezing the bridge of his nose he groaned. "Shit, I should have seen it coming. She was a complete ice princess then all of a sudden, on a dime, she was warm and friendly, agreeing to let me take her out."

"She was good," Kathryn acknowledged with affection. "And she knew it…"

..

"_That was him. You might as well admit defeat now Merteuil. I have this in the bag."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_He just called with the lamest excuse to talk to me before crumbling into honestly. It was pathetic."_

"_Hmm. He just called?"_

"_Yep"_

"_Well I hate to break it to you Kansas, but at the moment my darling brother is entertaining the two biggest sluts in school in his bedroom."_

"_I don't suppose they're boning up on algebra?"_

"_Oh, I'm sure they're boning up on something alright, but it has nothing to do with academics. Face it he was playing you Hargrove."_

"_Shit. Oh well, give me time. We're going out tomorrow night. He's taking me to the Boathouse—_

"_And let me guess The Met? That's standard operating procedure number two. He uses that method on his shall we say, more intellectually inclined conquests. Not even breaking out anything original. This doesn't bode well for your I'm afraid. I on the other hand, just bought a new strap on I'm dying to test out. Looks like I'm going to have ample opportunity."_

"_You haven't won anything yet. That boy will fall yet, and I think I know just how to play it."_

"_Oh? Care to share?"_

"_And give you the opportunity to sabotage me? Nice try. In any event I'm sick of discussing your brother. Let's move on to more stimulating topics."_

"_Such as?"_

"_What are you wearing?"_

"_Funny you should ask—_

..

"Okay, now you're just fucking with me."

"What?" Kathryn shrugged, reclining back against the bed. "That's how it happened."

He shook his head. "It's a wonder you two managed to get anything accomplished this summer."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, you two went out."

"We didn't go to the Boathouse after all. When I picked her up she was in jeans and I didn't have the heart to tell her they had a dress code," Sebastian explained with that familiar dopey look on his face Kathryn had come to despise. His eyes glazed over and he stared off in the distance as he recounted, "We ended up just eating at one of those venders in the park and we spent the whole night just walking around talking. It was amazing."

Kathryn's face scrunched up in distaste. "Yes, I know. She was texting me the whole night with updates. Did you really tear up when talking about your turtle dying in the eighth grade?"

"I was playing her!" he spat, all gooey sincerity gone.

"Sure you were."

Sneering at her Sebastian barked, "Just get back to the fucking story."

Sighing she tried to recall where she left off. "Let's see, you went out with Annette, then Cecile came over the next night and we both know how that went."

"I really don't need a reminder."

"Well the next day Cecile went to your aunt's and she was distressed about what went down so she summoned me. When I arrived you and Annette were off wiping up drool from geriatrics or whatever, so I dealt with Cecile. When you returned, Annette and I reunited. We hadn't seen each other in almost a week so we were understandably a little…eager."

"Oh god. I do not need any more anecdotes of you two fucking."

"Trust me you'll want to hear about this one. It pertains to something later on."

Sebastian waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Fine"

Kathryn sat back and resumed her story. "Like I said, we were eager, and unfortunately it made us a little sloppy…"

..

"_Ow!" _

_Kathryn laughed as she pushed Annette into the antique writing desk. A small mink vase sitting atop it tittered before meeting it's end on the hard wood floor with a sharp splat. Jerking back Annette stared it in dismay. "Shit."_

"_Fuck it," Kathryn grumbled against her mouth, one hand clutching her face while the other groped her supple curves, immediately regaining her attention. _

_They made out, hard and sloppy, their over eager hands searching for any kind of bare skin. Kathryn kissed down her neck, nipped at her collarbone and asked, "Where were you?"_

"_O-out with your brother, doing charity." When Kathryn paused to snort Annette smiled and explained, "Your aunt couldn't make it to her volunteer shift at the nursing home and asked us to step in."_

"_That woman is diabolical," Kathryn laughed, shoving a hand up the blonde's shirt to pinch her nipple._

_Annette whimpered and pushed herself back on the desk. Grasping Kathryn's waist she pulled her between her splayed legs. "You should have seen your brother," Annette groaned, always sure to remind her of Sebastian's official role in her life, "I've never seen anyone so miserable."_

"_I'll bet." Clutching her by the back of the neck she pulled her into another deep kiss while absently wondering if the desk was safe to fuck on. A broken vase could be easily explained, a whole desk was another matter entirely. _

"_It's working though." Annette came up for air to explain. She shoved her hand up the back of Kathryn's dress and palmed her ass. "I'm starting to get to him, I can feel it."_

_Recalling how distant Sebastian had been behaving this past week Kathryn suspected she was right. It made her feel uneasy, but she dismissed it. "We'll see."_

"_Ask him," she told her, grinding down against her thigh she had shoved between her legs. "Ask him how I made him laugh."_

_This gave her pause. Sebastian never laughed. Not really. "Later," Kathryn breathlessly replied, cupping her face, "I have more pressing matters to tend to at the moment."_

_She kissed her again, pouring all her lust and anger and fear into the kiss. Moaning against her Annette wrapped herself around her and kissed her back just as fiercely. They were both so wrapped up in each other they could be excused for not noticing they weren't alone until they heard a shocked squeal. "Oh my god!"_

_Flying apart they looked up to find a stunned Cecile Caldwell gapping at them._

..

"Cecile?! Cecile knew about this?!" Sebastian exclaimed completely livid at the thought that literally everyone knew about them but him.

"Can I get back to my story?"

..

"_Cecile, this isn't what it looks like," Kathryn explained calmly as if talking to a small child. Already in fix it mode she told her, "We were just practicing. Like that day in the park."_

_The younger girl seemed to blush at the memory before resuming her bratty demeanor, "This doesn't look like what we practiced in the park. It looked like you guys were—"_

"_This is the more advanced version," Annette interjected, fixing her skirt._

"_Cool," Cecile giggled._

_Taking her by the hand, Kathryn earnestly implored, "Cecile, it's very important you don't tell anyone what you just saw. Annette has a boyfriend—"_

"_But I thought you liked Sebastian?" she asked, looking confused._

"_Oh god," Annette grumbled. "It's also very important you don't spread __**that**__ around."_

"_Cecile," Kathryn tried to get her back on track, her patients already dwindling. Arm around her shoulder she guided her back to the door. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"_

"_Duh, I'm not an idiot," she huffed. "I know you don't want everyone to think you're lesbians," she whispered loudly. Annette rolled her eyes behind her back. _

"_That's right Cecile."_

"_Is like another part of the secret society?"_

"_Sure," Kathryn nodded._

"_Um, Kathryn, do you think…do you think I could practice with you guys too?" Her dark eyes pleaded back at her pitifully as she clutched her hands. "I mean I want my first time with Ronald to be good and I really want to learn everything you can teach me. Please!"_

_Kathryn was about to unequivocally shut down the suggestion. After all she had only kissed Cecile in the park that day on a whim and to see what all the fuss about the little moron was. Turns out she wasn't anything special. Still there was a certain novelty with a virgin, not to mention knowing she fucked Court's precious little princess before he could even get to first base with her was its own sort of high. When she glanced past Cecile and saw Annette shake her head and mouth, "No way," she knew they had to do it._

_With a slow, serpent like smile she asked the unsuspecting girl, "You really want to learn what boys like in bed?"_

_She nodded emphatically. "Yes! More than anything."_

"_And you promise to never tell anyone about what we did and you'll do exactly what I tell you?" Cecile nodded vigorously in agreement while Annette, rolled her eyes upwards. "Okay, then Cecile you can practice with us. Assuming of course Annette is okay with it."_

_They both turned to Annette who was not amused. Cecile ran up to the blonde and dropped to her knees. "Please Annette!"_

_She cocked a brow at the eager girls display before, shooting Kathryn an irritated look. Finally, taking pity on her, she tugged Cecile to her feet. "Oh for Christ sakes fine! Get up. God knows Kathryn will have you on your knees soon enough."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Never mind," Kathryn interjected. "Why don't we go upstairs to my room and get more comfortable Cecile. We have a little time before Sebastian comes looking for Annette."_

"_Okay!" she agreed, practically skipping out the door._

_Kathryn laughed at Annette's miserable expression and tugged on her arm. "Come on, it will be fun."_

_Hargrove reached over and pinched her ass. "You fucking owe me one Merteuil."_

..

"Are you telling me you two fucked Cecile?" Sebastian laughed, from his perch across the room.

Examining her nails Kathryn asked, bored, "What do you care? You're not interested anyway, remember?"

"I could make an exception this time," he replied loftily.

She shot him a look. "Too bad. This is dragging on long enough and I have a manicure in an hour."

"Then what does this little trip down memory lane have to do with anything?"

Kathryn pretended to think about it before smiling tauntingly at him. "Come to think of it—nothing. I just wanted you to have the mental image in your head."

Sebastian rolled his eyes upwards and heaved out an annoyed sigh. She was quite sure she heard him mutter the word, _bitch_, before turning back to her and demanding, "So what happened next?"

"You know what happened. You pussied out. Annette gave you an opening and you turned into a chicken shit," she told him with a derisive sneer. "And after having to listen to that lame ass speech about her being a hypocrite and turning her back on true love, which PS was just emotional blackmail—

"Wait a minute." Sebastian pushed off his perch on the wall, his gaze hard and demanding. "She told you about that?"

"No, I heard it firsthand." Leaning across the mattress, she smiled, relishing it as she cruelly revealed, "I was there."

..

"_Pussy," Annette spat with disgust as she wiped her fake tears on her sleeve. "You can come out now. He's long gone. Probably went to jerk off in the shower."_

_Kathryn stormed out of the bathroom, her furious expression leading the way. "Jesus, were you going to fuck him right in front of me?"_

_She shrugged, buttoning her pajama shirt. "If I had to." Drinking in her obvious anger she sighed, "Oh relax, I knew he'd wuss out. Boys like Sebastian are painfully predictable." Getting to her feet, she ran a hand through her hand musing, "I bet anything he's probably off giving himself a pep talk as we speak, telling himself to man up. Loser."_

..

"Fucking bitch," he huffed, looking off.

Kathryn took exception to this. "Why because she predicted exactly how you'd behave, and she mocked you for it? How is she anymore a bitch for doing exactly the same thing you do all the god damn time? You're such a fucking hypocrite Valmont."

He knew she was right, so he didn't challenge her. Instead, charging up to the bed, Sebastian grabbed her forcefully by the arm and jerked her forward, pulling her close until they were sharing the same breath. "You wanted her to win the bet, didn't you?" he demanded. "That was your goal the entire time, to see me humiliated. Admit it."

It wasn't. Not even close. The truth was there was no endgame. For once nothing she had done had been a product of a meticulously laid plan, but rather the result of split-second decisions led by her ever increasing erratic emotional state. However, she couldn't tell him this. For one he'd never believe her. He thought she was made of ice and stone. And two, she refused to give him even another inch of emotional real estate. He'd taken up far too much of it as it was.

So, Kathryn did what she did best. She lied.

"With pleasure," she hissed, letting her gaze burn into his. "I knew Annette would fuck you up and I couldn't wait. The great and powerful Sebastian Valmont brought to his knees by a mid-western farm girl. Can you think of anything more delicious?"

"Cunt," Sebastian spat, shoving her away with a disgusted sneer.

When his back was turned, Kathryn sagged to the bed, her haughty expression crumbling. As she watched him light yet another cigarette, she thought back on how that conversation with Annette _really_ transpired.

..

"_What if I asked you not to sleep with him?"_

_Annette, who had been fixing her hair in the mirror, paused and gently set down her metal brush before turning around. "Then you forfeit the bet," she told her. They stared at each other for a long moment. They both knew Kathryn would never do such a thing. Not only would she loose she would be admitting something she hadn't even admitted to herself. That he mattered to her._

"_It won't change anything," Annette said, her tone almost gentle. "He's already in love with me."_

"_He's not in love with __**you**__," Kathryn spat bitterly. "He's in love with that __**thing**__ you're pretending to be."_

"_Same difference."_

"_Then why do it?"_

"_Why does it bother you so much?" she countered. "Is it because your jealous? He might not be as tightly wrapped around your finger as you thought."_

"_Don't be absurd," Kathryn huffed, crossing her arms to her chest defensively. "He's just a toy. He means nothing."_

_Judging by the smirk that was tugging at the corners of the blonde's mouth, she clearly didn't buy it. Getting up from her seat she slowly crossed the room. "You know we can end this whole thing right now. I'll tell him flat out I'm in love with Trevor and to back off. Then I'll go stay at the Mickalacks and that will be the end of it." She cupped Kathryn's cheek. "All you have to do is admit it. Admit it's killing you—losing him like this. Own it and I'll drop the whole thing."_

_Of course she should have said fine. Yes she hated it. Yes she was jealous, so jealous it was eating her up inside, making her sick at the mere thought that he might not want her anymore. The only person who ever meant a damn to her. _

_But she couldn't do it._

_Instead, she jerked away and sneered, "Fine. Go ahead and fuck him." The disappointment in Annette's eyes was unmistakable. "Seal the deal, but it won't change anything. You'll just be another fuck to him."_

_Annette sighed, no longer smug. Instead she looked sad as she replied, "Are you sure about that?"_

..

"Are you listening to me?" Sebastian waved a hand in front of her face, pulling her from her thoughts. "Where did you just go?"

Shaking off the memory, Kathryn pulled herself together and pretended she hadn't heard the question. "Do you want to hear the rest or are we done?"

"Go on"

"The next morning, Annette stopped by my room to tell me she was heading to Darcy's parents house. I thought for a minute she was backing out of the bet. Instead she told me she was laying a trap. See she knew you well enough to know if she left you'd go running after her. She told me to tell you where she was going. If you remember, I told you she left but I purposely left out the where." Kathryn smiled without humor, "She of course saw that coming and told Greg as well, knowing you'd hit him up for info. Anyway, you two had your little reunion and by the time I returned to the city, you were sliding into home…"

..

_They were going too slow. Too fucking slow. All the times to follow the god damn speed limit, why was Maurice choosing now? Was he doing it on purpose? Yes, she thought, he must be, to pay her back for all the times she called him a fucking moron or slammed the door on his hand or made him miss his kids dance recital. So in retribution he was going to drive like an old lady and she would be too late._

_Digging into her purse, Kathryn found her crucifix and with shaky hands she unscrewed it. She already had too much today. She had been flying all afternoon, but she needed something to take the edge off and fucking MAURICE hadn't restocked the goddamn mini bar so she was shit out of luck. She took another bump and when she went for a third, her nose started to bleed. Perfect._

_She needed to get her shit together. It wouldn't do to go flying in there all coked up, looking as crazy as she felt. She had to go in there rationally and cool as ice before laying down the mother fucking law. Under no circumstances would Sebastian and Annette be permitted to fuck. She couldn't believe she had allowed this bullshit to go on as long as it had. Part of her thought Annette would never really go through with it but she called her bluff and now here Kathryn was racing through five o'clock Manhattan weekend traffic, like a goddamn romantic comedy heroine ready to make a fool of herself. Assuming she wasn't too late._

_By the time they eventually made it home, Kathryn had managed to pull herself together somewhat, although her body was still tingling too much and her head was racing in a million different directions. At least she looked presentable. She marched out of the car, not even bothering for incompetent Maurice to open the door for her, before rushing inside. She was a woman on a mission. Entering the elevator she once again became a jittery mess. She wasn't too late, she told herself, she couldn't be._

_Kathryn crossed the parlor with long strides, her heels clicking loudly against the parquet floor. She made a bee line for her stepbrother's door only to come up short when she heard it. Laughter. Unmistakable. Sebastian followed by Annette. Kathryn's breath caught in her throat. Her stomach dropped. She was too late._

_Trepidation took hold of her as she slowly approached Sebastian's bedroom. She listened pathetically on the other side as she heard it. The bed, the gentle thump of the mattress and subtle squeak of the bed springs followed by unmistakable sounds of moaning. Annette high and rising, Sebastian soft and muffled. _

_Too late. She was too goddamn late._

_For a brief moment she fantasized about throwing open the door and surprising them. She imagined congratulating them on their victories. What was that Sebastian? Didn't you know? Annette was playing you the whole time. She doesn't love you, she can't even stand you. She imagined Annette's furious expression and Sebastian's heartbreak and she could practically taste it. Kathryn reached for the doorknob, her fingers tightened around the cool brass, but she didn't do it. Even in her fucked up state she knew the consequences would be too great. In the end she bitched out and returned to her room, slamming the door behind her._

_Kathryn paced, taking up her dear stepbrother's favorite nervous habit. She paced for what felt like hours as she became consumed with the thought of them. Together. Kathryn tried not to picture it but she couldn't get it out of her head. The image of the two of them. _

_Her Annette. Her Sebastian._

_Her brain immediately jumped to various revenge scenarios. She seriously thought about booking a flight to Greece or France or fucking Cincinnati. Anywhere but here. That would surely fuck with them. She imagined Annette's shocked reaction of getting ditched, leaving her with her 'winnings'. She'd get over it, her inner voice told her. In record time no doubt. She's probably take up her student body president position, maybe even keep Sebastian around for status. Who knows, maybe after tonight she won't be so repulsed by him after all. As for Sebastian, he probably wouldn't even notice no doubt. Too wrapped up on his newfound love, basking in the glory of his redemption arc. Kathryn would be just a dim memory. Kathryn felt sick._

_She hated them both. So very fucking much._

_Sometime later she heard it. Sebastian's door opening, the gentle murmur of voices. By the time she got up from her bed and scrambled to the door they're already gone. Kathryn waited until she was sure it was safe before stepping out. Sebastian's door was open. Standing in his doorway she stared at the unmade bed. What once looked so inviting now seemed to be mocking her. _

_She crossed the room and went out onto his porch. Just as she suspected they were saying their goodbyes, fucking Maurice getting ready to take Annette back to Darcy's parents' house. Watching the happy couple, she had the juvenile urge to spit on them, but she curbed it. They kissed and murmured 'I love you' before Annette disappeared into the limo. Sebastian lingered on the curb. His smile was neither smug or triumphant. It was one of contentment. A person completely at ease with their world. Kathryn never hated him more._

_Suddenly her phone buzzed, making her jump. Reaching into her pocket of her trousers, she removed her cell. It was Annette, she left a text:_

_**Time to pay up baby**_

..

Of course, she didn't tell him any of this.

Sebastian didn't need to know about her coke fueled inner monologue or how much all of this fucked her up just as much as it did him. He didn't _deserve_ to know, she rationalized. After all, according to his journal, she was nothing more than an evil, scheming, fraud. A promiscuous bitch. A head case.

Thinking back on it all, she suddenly became irrationally angry. Furious even that she allowed herself to be put in this position and having to dredge up all this shit. Furious that he continued to act like the wounded party even though he had this coming to him for years. Furious that a part of her still felt guilty about it. Fuck this, Kathryn thought to herself. He wanted the gory details; she'd happily give them to him.

"She told me all about it of course," Kathryn informed him her tone arch and mocking, "The night you _made love_."

Sebastian turned away from the window to meet her gaze. She could tell he was curious but hesitant. And with good reason. Knowing she had his attention she continued, "How did she describe it? Oh right, painfully mediocre."

"Shut up Kathryn," he sneered, looking away.

"Poor thing, didn't even get to come and after all that build up of the legendary Sebastian Valmont's supposed prowess…what a disappointment."

Stubbing out his cigarette angrily, he stormed up to the bed. "I said shut up!"

Ignoring him she asked with a bitchy smile, "Did you really almost cry when you came?" Kathryn laughed. "Do you do that all the time or—

Abruptly he grabbed her arm and violently yanked her up so they were eye to eye. Practically shaking with rage, he barked, "I mean it Kathryn shut the fuck up or I'll do it for you."

It was an empty threat of course. Aside from that one incident, he never got violent with her, but she temporarily relented. When she didn't respond he let her go and turned away, trying to get himself under control. But she didn't want him in control. Kathryn wanted him as out of control as she felt. So she pushed.

"I thought you wanted details?" she taunted.

"Not about that," he grumbled.

"Well how about this then: the morning, after your very special night together, Annette returned, and she fucked me. _In. Your. Bed_."

Sebastian whipped around, completely stunned. "Excuse me?"

Smiling, Kathryn leaned back on the bed, spreading her arms out. "You heard me. Your precious Annette fucked the shit out of me, right here. We didn't even change the sheets after."

For once he appeared completely speechless as he looked over his own bed like it was a traitorous albatross. Shaking his head, he told her, "You're lying."

"Am I?" She wasn't and they both knew it. "It was her idea of course, Annette is very creative in bed—not that you would know. Also, very enthusiastic." Leaning forward, Kathryn looked her darling stepbrother dead in the eye and told him, "And let me tell you something—she most certainly came that time. Over and over again…" she smiled brightly. "Still think I'm lying?"

"You god damn bitch," he breathed.

Ignoring his hateful tone, she continued to taunt him while tracing the bulge in his boxers with the tip of her finger. "You should have seen her. She harnessed up and fucked me everywhere. Just like you always wanted to. Just like you never will."

He flung her hand away angrily. "Stop it," he ordered.

This time Kathryn didn't indulge his demand. She laughed at him. "God, look at you. You don't know whether you're furious or horny. So fucking pathetic. No wonder I could never get it up for you."

Suddenly he pushed her back and raised his hand in the air like he was going to take a swing at her. Kathryn flinched despite herself, anticipating the blow. But it never came. His hand dropped lamely to his side and she found herself letting out breath of relief. It was short lived. Sebastian grabbed her again, this time he flipped her onto her stomach and pressed her face into the mattress. Kathryn began to kick and flail, trying to get away, but he quickly straddled her waist, pinning her down.

"Get off asshole!"

"Oh, I plan to," he replied, sounding impossibly calm.

A twinge of panic gripped her as he abruptly shoved her dress up. She tried to buck him off, but it was no use. She could feel his cock, hard and hot against the silk of his boxers. She could feel the wetness of the pre-cum. Kathryn felt revulsion but also inexplicably excitement. After all, this twisted violence was just another weird facet of their relationship. She'd be lying if she said the idea of Sebastian holding her down and force fucking her didn't have a certain appeal twisted though it may be. However, this was Kathryn's show and she wasn't about to give up control so easily.

"Let me go!" she cried out to no avail.

"No, I don't think so," he told her, almost bored. His hand caressed her bare ass. It was the wrong day to wear a thong. Slowly, his hand came around and he was soon cupping her cunt through her panties. Kathryn whined and twisted away. Sebastian just chuckled, running his fingers over the lace before brushing it aside. "I'm curious to see if you really can't get it up for me."

When his fingers at last made contact with her overheated cunt she gasped. This was a first. They had never gone this far before. She had never allowed it. It felt oddly taboo him touching her like this. His fingers pressed against her seam, running along the length of her vulva. He found her clit within seconds and tauntingly ghosted a finger over it, before seeking out her hole.

Kathryn gasped as he entered her and he chuckled. "Still a fucking liar I see. You're soaking my hand sis." His fingers moved in her just barely before pulling away. She swallowed a whimper as she listened to him suck her juices off his fingers. "Not bad. I can see why Hargrove is such a fan."

"You've had your fun," she spat at him, "Now let me up."

"I don't think so. We're not nearly done." She tried to buck him off once again, but he held her shoulder down while his other hand went back to her cunt. This time he didn't bother teasing her before shoving two fingers abruptly inside her. Kathryn cried out. "You're tight. Shocking given you entertained have the borough."

"Fuck you."

"We'll see."

She wondered if he'd take it that far. Despite the sizeable hardon nudging her thigh she didn't think so. Sebastian worked his fingers inside her. Kathryn tried to fight it, tried to pretend she wasn't getting off on it as much as him, but it was no use. She got tired of fighting herself, so she gave in. Digging her nails into the comforter she found herself grinding against his fingers, trying to get him deeper. Sebastian snickered, There's the slut I know and love."

She didn't fixate on his taunts (or his peculiar use of the word love). Instead she ordered, voice rough, "Harder."

He obliged shoving his finger gruffly inside her while another finger teased her clit. "You like that?"

"Ugh," was all she could manage.

It was good, so good she knew it was only a matter of moments before she—

BUZZ…BUZZ…BUZZ

The odious ring of her phone cut through the air, startling them both. Sebastian stilled a moment but didn't remove his hand. Kathryn looked for her purse. It was out of her reach but not Sebastian's. Shit.

He retrieved it from her bag and laughed ominously. "Oh, this should be good."

"Don't—

"Hello Annette!" he greeted her chipperly. "Why yes, she's right here."

Sebastian placed the phone by her ear and turned on speaker phone but wouldn't let her up. "Kathryn?" Annette's curious voice greeted her.

"H-hey"

"Why's that asshole answering your phone?"

In retaliation, Sebastian resumed fucking her cunt hard, adding extra pressure to her clit. Kathryn bit her tongue to keep from crying out. Trying to get a hold of herself she told her, "It's a lo-ong story. I, um, this isn't a great time. Can I call you back?"

There was a brief hesitation. "Yeah, uh, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry I missed you this morning. My dad told me you stopped by and apparently worked your PR magic on him. You're good."

"She certainly is," Sebastian groaned loudly then for emphasis he smacked her ass.

Kathryn squeaked and tried to squirm away. "What was that?" Annette asked, alarmed.

"Nothing. Just Sebastian being an asshole. As usual." Looking over her shoulder as best she could she mouthed, "STOP"

He just smirked and mouthed, "MAKE ME." Then, because he was a complete tool, he proceeded to corkscrew his finger up inside her, clearly looking for her G spot. She couldn't allow that to happen. It would feel amazing, but it wasn't worth the trouble. As it was, this was going to be hard to explain to Annette. She had to put an end to it.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"Oh, she's more than alright she's—" Kathryn abruptly shut him up by popping out her shoulder and elbowing him violently in the face. "MOTHER FUCKER!" Sebastian wailed, immediately letting go of her and he rolled over in pain.

"Kathryn!? Kathryn!?" Annette cried from the phone. "Are you okay?"

Retrieving her phone, she turned off the speaker. "Yeah, I'm fine," she told her as she watched, Sebastian clutching his nose as he hobbled to the bathroom. She was fairly certain he was bleeding. "But I think it's safe to say Sebastian's not going to be so pretty on his first day of school."

"Well that's a shame," Annette replied mockingly. "You need any back up?"

"No, I got it handled," Kathryn told her as she fixed herself up. "Can I call you later?"

"Sure. Play nice."

"I always do."

She hung up and a moment later Sebastian emerged from the bathroom, holding a towel to his bloody nose. He looked a mess. Kathryn was kind of proud of herself. "You deserve that you know," she told him. "You went too far Sebastian."

He let out a short humorless chuckle. "That's funny coming from you."

Kathryn smiled tightly before getting off the bed and heading for the door. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I think we're done here, don't you?"

"No," he spat. "I want the rest of it."

"Too bad the game is wearing thin Sebastian," she sighed grabbing the door handle.

"Get your ass back here and finish the god damn story," he demanded, sounding way more menacing than a guy bleeding from the nose ought to.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I tell your girlfriend what just happened."

"How you assaulted me?"

"How you begged for it," he taunted. "And I won't stop at that. I might have to get a little creative."

Kathryn shook her head, calling his bluff. "Go ahead, she won't believe you."

He leveled a knowing look at her. "Won't she?"

Shit. She fucked up letting him know how jealous Annette got. The truth was she fucked up telling him anything at all. Confiding in him was her own bad habit. Left with little choice, she shut the door and angrily threw her bag down before resuming her seat on the bed. Sebastian made a gesture with his hand as if to say, _proceed_.

"Where was I?"

"You just fucked that bitch in my bed."

"Oh yeah." Thinking back on it she told him. "I was pissed at her for fucking you—winning the bet I mean," she corrected herself. "But I realized something that afternoon after we had sex. She only fucked you to punish me."

"Punish you for what?"

"Wanting you," she told him bluntly, enjoying the way the surprise, briefly flickered over his emotionless face. "So, I decided to return to favor…"

..

"_Do you wanna go get a drink?" _

_Kathryn looked across the bed at Annette who was buttoning her shirt. They hadn't said much to each other since she pulled out of her. Kathryn was far too in her own head. Her anger, which had been temporarily replaced by lust, suddenly came roaring back as she stared at the blonde. _

"_I'd love to," she replied in a tone that clearly meant the opposite. "But unfortunately, I have plans."_

"_With who?"_

"_Ronald."_

_Annette stilled, taking this in. "The music teacher?" she asked incredulously. "To do what?"_

_Kathryn raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Use your imagination." With a final flip of her hair she headed for the door. _

_Rounding the bed, Annette followed after her. "Are you serious right now?"_

_She swung back around to face her and smirked, a full on taunting bitch grin as she told her, "Very. You don't get to have all the fun." Kathryn gave one last pointed look at the bed and turned to leave. However, Annette wouldn't be blown off so easily. Snatching her arm, she pulled her back._

"_You really are pissed I fucked him, aren't you?" she asked stating the obvious. Annette tried to pull her in but Kathryn stepped back. "I told you, it was nothing."_

"_Not to him apparently. He's so in love," she simpered with false sweetness._

_Annette rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Oh Christ, I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered, more to herself than Kathryn. "Look, I'm sorry I even suggested the bet. I didn't mean for it to go this far. But there's no reason for you to go fuck Cecile Caldwell's castoffs to get back at me."_

"_That's not what I am doing," she hissed icily. "This has nothing to do with the bet. A girl just needs a change every once in a while." Turning on her heel she opened the door then paused on the threshold. Looking back at her, she smiled meanly and delivered one last parting shot. "After all fake dick is only fun for so long. Have a nice day."_

..

"You really are an ice cold bitch, aren't you?" Sebastian sneered. Now sitting behind his desk, he glared across the room at his stepsister, but she was far from impressed.

"Were you really expecting anything different?" she asked, bored before shooting him a challenging stare. He was the one after all who wrote she was incapable of feeling remorse or anything at all. Kathryn was not at all surprised when her stepbrother didn't try to dispute this. Getting up from the bed, she slithered over to the desk. "Anyway, after you turned me down, I realized you really were in love with her, thus both of you won your respective bets."

"And you were the loser," he taunted. "My, how that must have _ate_ at you."

Kathryn smiled faintly, as she trailed a finger of the brass lining of the antique glass desk. "I'll be the first to admit I've never taken defeat gracefully. I suppose we have that in common."

His gaze met hers and he gave a dismissive snort. "Two of a kind."

"Yes," she replied. "So, I got in your head, fed you all that bullshit about how a relationship with her would destroy your respective reputations." Kathryn laughed to herself when she realized they were currently standing in the exact same positions they were on that fateful day only they were reversed. That probably was symbolic of something or other. Continuing her story she told him, "Sure enough you followed through. Annette was right, you are painfully predictable."

Sebastian didn't seem to be all together listening as he stared off, likely thinking back on his own memories of that day. "She was so upset when I broke up with her. She cried and…slapped me."

Kathryn couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "I'm not all together sure she was acting." Sebastian looked up at her sharply, "See by me telling you to break up with her, I was essentially destroying her plan to humiliate you. She wasn't pleased…"

..

"_Why did you do it?"_

_Annette didn't get angry in the same way Kathryn did. She didn't raise her voice and throw things. She didn't threaten and malign. Instead she got very still and focused. Her face nearly expressionless. It was unnerving to Kathryn who was used to dealing with drama queen Sebastian and her own theatrics. It unnerved her. That coupled with her guilt and frustration only served to put her more on edge. _

_They were at the hotel, in their room. Kathryn wanted a semi-neutral territory when Annette called her demanding to talk to her face to face. She expected the blonde to come roaring into the room, fists swinging, demanding answers but instead she was unspeakably calm as she asked that one question._

_As always Kathryn wasn't in any sort of position to tell the truth. She couldn't very well confess she did it because she was unspeakably jealous and hurt and frustrated. It would be admitting too much. Annette knew about her dark side, but she'd be damned if she knew her vulnerable side. So instead she did what she did best. She played the haughty bitch._

"_Because I was bored," Kathryn told her with a flippant shrug of her shoulders. "This is boring. I'll admit, you were amusing at first. Decent in bed, fun to play with, but like all the rest you soon grew tiring, clingy, dull. The truth of the matter is I only kept you around because I knew he wanted you. But now that he's no longer interested, I really see no reason to continue this. I hope you understand and we can still be friends."_

_Annette shook her head, smiling in a way that didn't reach her eyes. "It's amazing—you're almost as bad a liar as he is."_

"_I am not lying," she told her firmly. "I'm sorry that you're so hung up on me—_

"_Oh, save it Kathryn!" she exclaimed. "God, I never would have fucked him if I thought…forget it."_

"_Yes. Let's." There was a part of her that desperately wanted her to finish that thought, that wanted Annette to fight for her, but she wouldn't allow herself to acknowledge it. This had all gone on long enough. Squaring her shoulders Kathryn stepped closer to her lover, all business and told her, "Listen, I'll make sure Sebastian keeps his mouth shut about you two just as long as you do the same regarding us. Deal?"_

_Annette stared at her flatly a moment before stepping forward and cupping her face. Kathryn was momentarily caught off guard by the intimate gesture. Looking her dead in the eye Annette told her, "You're settling for less than you're worth, you get that don't you? You think you're going to be satisfied with him? You think you're going to be happy? Playing these pathetic games, knowing you'll never fully let him in, always wondering if he's thinking about someone else. It will fuck you up Kathryn." _

_Suddenly feeling overwhelmed by her warning Kathryn shakily pushed her away. "Stop it," she told her with little bite._

"_I can't," she admitted sounding broken. "Despite the fact that you're a hateful cunt most of the time, you deserve better than that, better than him."_

"_Like you? Come on Annette, you honestly think we could have made each other happy?"_

_Annette looked on the brink of real tears as she shook her head and explained sadly, "Don't you get it? I would have burned down the world for you."_

..

"So, she was in love with you."

Kathryn looked over at her stepbrother, startled. "No," she stated firmly, before considering it, more to herself than to him. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Don't you?"

Sebastian got up from the desk and went and leaned against the opposite bookcase. He never could sit still for long. He tossed the washcloth soaking up his blood away. His nose was already starting to bruise. Paying it no mind, he crossed his arms to his chest and stated, "I think I know why you did it though."

She titled her head and coyly replied, "Enlighten me."

"She didn't follow the playbook, same as me. We're all your puppets, your _toys_ and when we don't behave as you want or act out of turn you cast us off. Is that about right?"

He's wrong of course, it wasn't as simple or cut and dry as her acting out because she didn't get her way. The truth was Kathryn wasn't all together sure why she did what she did. Anger when fueled by cocaine was a deadly combination, but it wasn't that either. Or not just that anyway. She was terribly jealous and scared and sometimes she just wanted to burn the world down. Even if it was _her_ world.

For a split second, Kathryn fantasized telling him all this. She'd go to him, cup his battered face in her hands and confess it all—her fears and her jealousies and her twisted love for him and Annette. She'd beg him to understand, forgive her, _love_ her. And maybe he'd do just that. Maybe it would fix everything.

Or maybe not. Either way she wasn't brave enough to find out.

Instead, she pivoted, turning the conversation back around to that fateful afternoon in her bedroom. "You wanna know the truth? I would have given you your goddamn reward. I would have fucked up your shit so royally you wouldn't have been able to cum again without picturing my cunt. But you came to me sniveling about _her_, clearly still 'so in love'. How could I be expected to get it up for that? You were no longer the boy I knew anymore, just a shadow."

"So you choose to eviscerate me instead?"

"Always so dramatic," she sneered.

Ignoring her he continued, swallowing hard, his voice nowhere near as emotionless as hers. "I thought we were equals. I thought that you…but it was all about the power wasn't it? Having me wrapped around your finger."

"Yes," Kathryn replied immediately. The lie tasted good on her lips. Just like that afternoon when she tore him open, she felt in control, like nothing and no one could ever hurt her again. Especially not him. Titling her head she taunted, "What else would it have been about?"

Sebastian nodded, looking uneasy. Pushing off the wall he took a seat on the bed. He looked miserable. Watching him Kathryn didn't feel particularly triumphant, but unlike her darling stepbrother, she knew not to show her cards.

They both just sat there, lost in their own thoughts, saying nothing. After a while Kathryn wondered if she should just leave. She started for the door when Sebastian asked, "So how did you end up back together?"

"Ironically that was your doing." Kathryn took a seat at his abandoned desk chair and explained. "You sent her that fucking journal and Annette summoned me over…"

..

"_Alright, I'm here what is it?"_

_Kathryn arrived at the Michalak's thirty minutes after hanging up with Annette. To say she had been surprised when she called was an understatement. After the way they left things, she didn't expect to see the blonde again until school started and even then, she didn't think she'd ever speak to her. But then she called, telling her she needed to talk, and it was important. Normally Kathryn would never—when she ended things, she ended them. However, Annette wasn't just anybody. She still couldn't get their last conversation out of her head, so she agreed, blowing off Ronald who was waiting back at her place to fuck._

_Seeing her now however, she realized it might have been a mistake. Kathryn didn't trust that she'd be able to walk away from her again. _

_Annette got up from the bed. She was wearing the aqua silk pajamas Kathryn had bought her last month. It had taken forever to cajole her into accepting them and she only agreed when Kathryn threatened to not go down on her again for a week. "Did anyone see you?" Annette asked._

_She rolled her eyes, running a hand through her mussed hair. "Of course not. I took the servants entrance just as you ordered. What's with all the secrecy? Embarrassed to be seen with me?"_

_Annette answered with a sardonic smirk and revealed, "No, I just didn't want Sebastian to see you."_

_Kathryn froze, her eyes sweeping suspiciously around the room as if she expected him to hop out of a closet or something. "What do you mean? He's here?"_

_She nodded towards the window, "Out there actually."_

_Kathryn sauntered over to the window and peaked out. Sure enough, there was Sebastian across the street, leaning against the cement wall bordering the park. He stared disinterestedly down the street. A Romeo looking for his Juliet. How the mighty have fallen…_

"_Jesus, how long as he been out there?"_

"_A couple hours," Annette sighed as she leaned against the other side of the window. "He came by earlier, demanding to see me. He made quite the scene. Mrs. Michalak had him banned from the building so he took up residence across the street. Kind of pathetic."_

"_He's hurt," Kathryn replied, feeling oddly sympathetic towards him. "We had a confrontation earlier. I might have gone too far…"_

"_Careful Merteuil, that almost sounds like remorse coming from you," she mocked with a sneer. "I wonder if you'd be so sympathetic if you knew what he gave me."_

"_What is it?"_

"_He left this for me before he was kicked out," she explained turning to retrieve something from the bedside table. She handed over the letter. Sighing Kathryn opened it and read. It wasn't anything mind blowing, just Sebastian begging for forgiveness, admonishing his past mistakes. He claimed being with Annette was the only time he'd ever been happy. Kathryn took exception to that, but otherwise it wasn't anything she didn't already know or suspect about his emotional mindset._

_That is until she got to the part about the journal. Kathryn's head shot up. "He gave you the journal?"_

_Annette held up the leather-bound book and smiled. "Yep."_

_It was Sebastian's most prized possession and Kathryn's personal holy grail. Ever since she heard about its existence, she had been consumed with trying to get a peek at it. He in turn seemed to enjoy holding it over her head. Forgetting to play it cool, she eagerly snatched the book out of Annette's hand and took a seat on the bed._

"_You might not want to do that," she warned her, her voice dripping with coyness._

"_Fuck off," Kathryn huffed, already digging in. _

"_Can't say I didn't warn you."_

_Almost immediately she realizes why Annette was so clearly gleeful to hand it over. It was all about her—page after page. None of it was complimentary. It was a complete denouncement of everything she was and everything she'd ever done. He detailed in meticulous detail all her bad habits, all her lies, all her secrets. It was all there in black and white._

"_As you can see, he really went in on you," Annette remarked, her tone taunting and cruel. "You really must have done a number on him. Although, as you can tell, I sincerely doubt he wrote this in one night. Clearly he's been nudging some resentment towards you for quite some time."_

_Annette continued to needle her, but Kathryn had completely tuned her out, lost in stepbrother's words:_

_**A person solely observing her and having seen the damage she's done to so many lives would most likely classify her as evil.**_

_And that was one of the tamer passages. God he fucking hated her. Annette was right, this wasn't written at the last minute. He had been writing this for years. How had she not realized it. All this time she thought he adored her, respected her, loved her, but she was just fucking delusional. Just like every other girl he ever conned. _

_The worst thing was he just handed over all her secrets to a complete stranger. True, Annette wasn't exactly a stranger to her, but Sebastian didn't know that. He was fucking using her as a scapegoat for all the evil shit he'd pulled over the years, as if she was the reason for it. As if he hadn't enjoyed every single minute of the destruction they caused. _

_Hadn't he?_

_Before she even realized what was happening, Kathryn began to cry. It started as just wet prickles around the edge of her eyelids only to give way to big, fat tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks. Kathryn hadn't cried in at least ten years._

"_Oh my god. Are you crying?" Annette asked appalled. _

"_N-no," she stuttered, even though she clearly was. Kathryn attempted to wipe at her eyes with her sleeve, but she just cried harder. It was so fucking embarrassing._

"_Jesus, stop it," Annette demanded. "It's not going to work."_

_She tried but she couldn't seem to stop. She had absolutely lost control of her body. Tarring her eyes away from the book she looked up at Annette. Had she not taken complete leave of her senses she would have laughed at the stricken expression on the other girl's face. Clearly, this was not the reaction she had anticipated, and she was just as shocked at Kathryn's outburst as she was._

"_Goddammit," Annette grumbled before stomping out the door, leaving Kathryn to cry in the silence of her room. She tried to pull herself together, tried to get off the bed to run away, but she couldn't seem to make herself move. Instead she found herself curling up against the pillows burying her face in them._

_A few minutes later, she dimly heard the bedroom door open. Standing beside her, Annette opened a bottle and filled a glass. It smelled like whiskey. Scowling she gentled nudged her shoulder with it. "Here, drink this. It will make you feel better."_

_Reluctantly Kathryn pulled herself up and accepted the glass. She chugged it down quickly, not even feeling it as it burned her throat. When she finished the glass, Annette filled it up again and sat down beside her. She drank this one slower. "You better not be fucking with me," she grumbled. "Or so help me god I'll make sure every asshole on the Upper East Side gets a look at that thing."_

_Kathryn, who was still clutching Sebastian's journal, held it tighter against herself as she finished her drink. They sat in silence as the whiskey did its thing and she eventually stopped crying, though she was far from numb._

_Finally, she spoke, her voice raw and unrecognizable even to her own ears. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she admitted._

"_Apparently Sebastian was wrong, big surprise," Annette quipped sarcastically. "You are a human being after all."_

_Ignoring her she mumbled into her glass, "I think I must just be PMSing or something."_

_Annette, who was always a big proponent of personal honesty, for once didn't try to argue with her or force some revelation. Instead she just nodded and humored her, "Yeah, it could be that to."_

_Kathryn turned to her, and asked softly, "Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I said to you."_

_She just shook her head. "Because I'm a fucking idiot apparently."_

_Wanting to show her that her kindness wasn't going to go unappreciated, Kathryn leaned in and cupping her face gently she kissed her. She was still kind of a mess from all the crying, but Annette didn't seem to mind. Grabbing her hand, she kissed her back. _

_Breaking away, Kathryn exclaimed in a rush, "I didn't mean it. What I said to you earlier about being bored and only keeping you around because of him. I didn't mean it, any of it. I—_

"_I know," Annette cut her off with a gentle smile. Grabbing a tissue, she cleaned her face, sighing, "You're not as complicated as you think you are Merteuil."_

"_Painfully predictable?"_

_She shook her head, "Not always. Sure as shit didn't see this coming."_

_Kathryn took her hand. "Sorry to disappoint."_

_Annette grinned. "Kathryn you couldn't be disappointing even if you tried."_

..

Sebastian didn't say anything for a long while. When he finally spoke, his tone was completely incredulous. "You honestly expect me to believe anything I wrote had any sort of effect on you?"

Kathryn was not in the least surprised by his reaction. For a brief second she flirted with the idea of telling him the truth. After all the whole reason she told him this part of the story was to gage how he would react. Would Sebastian look at her different if he knew her emotional outburst had been genuine? Maybe. The question was did she want him to?

In the end, Kathryn did as she always did when it came to Sebastian. She chose self-preservation over emotional honesty

"I should hope not," she answered him with a dismissive role of her eyes. "Of course I was just playing her."

"Why?"

"I realized I wanted her back. Breaking things off with her had been stupid and reckless." Allowing herself a moment of reflection she admitted, "It's ironic you wrote in your letter that being with Annette was the only time you had ever been happy. Well the truth was I felt the same way. With her I never worried that I wasn't enough. I…" Kathryn stopped herself when she looked up to find Sebastian watching her intensely. She was oversharing again. Squaring her shoulders, she Kathryn told him, "I realized I didn't want to lose her and I suspected if I made myself vulnerable she would respond to it. She didn't disappoint."

"How touching," he sneered. Sebastian pushed off the bed and began to strut around the room. "Speaking of painfully predictable, let me guess what happened next, you fucked until dawn?"

"No actually we just talked and fell asleep." Kathryn smiled faintly at the memory. It had been the first time they actually 'slept' together.

"How terribly dull," Sebastian drawled.

"Normally I would agree with you," she told him before admitting, "Funny enough, it kind of ended up being one of the best nights of my life."

Sebastian paused and stared at her like she was some kind of alien life form before he burst out laughing. Kathryn scowled. "Knock it off," she ordered.

"That has got to be one of the most revolting things I've ever heard," he declared. "Tell me did you share your hopes and dreams too?"

"Fuck off," she huffed, cursing herself for telling him anything in the first place. She never could stand being laughed at. Getting up she grabbed her bag from the bed. "Do you want the rest of it or shall we end it here?"

His amusement dying, he shrugged. "Alright, let's wrap it up."

..

"_Ugh, why are you dressed this early?" Kathryn murmured her voice thick with sleep. It was barely dawn but Annette was already up, sitting beside her dressed. In all white. Something about the ensemble made her smirk. Annette was many things but angelic wasn't one of them._

_Brushing Kathryn's hair off her face she explained vaguely, "I had an errand to run." _

_Had she been fully awake she would have questioned her harder. As it was Kathryn had other things on her mind. Grabbing Annette's hand, she placed in on her lace clad breast. "Well get undressed," she ordered, "And come sit on my face."_

_She smirked at the demand and gave her tit a rueful squeeze before drawing back. "Sebastian's still downstairs."_

_Well that killed the mood fast. _

_Scowling, Kathryn hugged her pillow. After last night she didn't want to talk about Sebastian let alone see him. "Just wait him out," she advised. "I know my brother, he has the attention span of a toddler. Trust me he'll be gone by the time the sun comes up." _

"_Yeah, but he isn't going away anytime soon. We have to decide what we're going to do here."_

_Kathryn sat up, suddenly concerned. "What happened to your plan to humiliate him?" Nodding towards the bedside table she added, "Pass that letter around campus. That should do the trick."_

_Picking up the letter Annette stared at it a moment before crinkling it up in her fist. "To hell with it," she sighed. "I'm over it."_

_Kathryn's stomach dropped. "Don't tell me you've actually developed feelings for him?"_

_Annette's face twisted in disgust. "Gross. No, of course not. Look Sebastian absolutely deserves to have his ass handed to him and I'm all for a public humiliation, but frankly it's not worth the hassle anymore. Not to mention he's going to be pissed enough when he finds out we played him. That might push him over the edge and I don't want that backfiring on you…or me for that matter."_

_Kathryn wasn't sure how she felt about this. Last week she hadn't been particularly eager to see Sebastian publicly ruined but after reading all his lovely thoughts about her she was definitely itching for a takedown. But Annette had a point. A vengeful Sebastian was dangerous. Remembering their earlier declaration of war she wondered how that would play into things._

"_You have a point," she admitted carefully._

"_Honestly I just want to be done with him."_

"_So where does that leave us?" Kathryn asked._

_Glancing out the window Annette remarked, "I say we invite him up and tell him everything."_

_Kathryn pouted. "That's no fun."_

"_Alright," Annette chuckled, "How about this? I'll tell him to come up, then make him think I'm going to forgive him and then you pop out to surprise him."_

"_That's better," Kathryn grinned. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds me holding his precious journal…in your bed."_

"_Talk about a mind fuck."_

_The girls laughed and Kathryn felt lighter than she had in weeks. Tilting her head coyly, Annette slowly swaggered over to the bed. "Speaking of fucking…"_

_Kathryn licked her lips as she met Annette's hungry stare. "It's still early…we still have hours before he wakes up."_

_Yanking the blonde back to the bed Kathryn smiled. "Get Naked._

..

"And you know what happens next," Kathryn finished. She felt as if she had been telling this story for days, but checking the clock she saw that it had only been a few hours. Still she felt exhausted and emotionally wrung out. Judging by the look on her stepbrother's face he felt the same way.

Now sitting beside her on the bed, Sebastian squeezed the bridge of his nose before wincing remembering his earlier injury. "Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me everything?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. She was done with this game. He wasn't getting anything else out of her. "It's the truth," she stated flatly before getting to her feet. "Are we finally done here?"

When he didn't answer she turned to leave only to have Sebastian grab her hand. Unlike earlier it wasn't violent or caustic. He held her hand in his and she turned back to him. "Wasn't I enough for you?"

She was so caught off guard by the question, her brain temporarily froze. He sounded so…hurt. Her first instinct was to assume he was playing her but looking at his face she knew he was on the level. Swallowing uneasy Kathryn told him, "It wasn't about that."

Sebastian let go of her hand and sunk back on the bed. Smiling faintly he said, "Funny, I always thought it was you and me against the world."

So did she. "Things change."

He met her eyes and nodded sadly. "So what's the plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Annette," he replied as if it was obvious. "What's the endgame?"

Of course he thought she was working an agenda. She supposed given her track record it wasn't surprising. "Funny enough, there isn't one."

"You're telling me—

"It's the real deal."

With a cynical sneer he asked, "You expect me to buy that?"

"I don't much care what you buy," Kathryn told him coldly. "It's none of your concern anymore Sebastian." And with that she turned heel and headed for the door.

"Yeah well you made it my concern when you drove a fucking knife into my back."

"Christ could you be more dramatic?" she hissed over her shoulder as she opened the door. "Get a life asshole."

Sebastian rushed up behind her and closed it. Getting in her face, he angrily told her, "Do you honestly think you can just walk away from this?"

She wasn't sure what he was referring to. What she did to him or their former 'relationship'. Either way she wasn't asking for clarification. Instead she affected a bored drawl and asked unimpressed, "Oh goody. Is this the part where you threaten me?" Shaking her head scornfully she sneered, "Shall we declare war again? That went so well for you the first time."

Sebastian leaned in close to her, his nose almost touching hers. "Kathryn," he whispered, "I don't have to threaten you. You're going to destroy your happiness all on your own."

"Am I?"

He nodded. "You and I are two of a kind, remember? You're going to fuck this up with her just like I did." He moved even closer, their lips nearly touching as he whispered, "And when you do, you can be damn sure I'm going to be there to enjoy it. _Silly rabbit_."

Sebastian leaned in and kissed her before she could form a rebuttal. Kathryn pressed a hand to his chest, but she didn't push him away. He had never kissed her before. Apparently, nothing was holding him back any longer. When he pulled back his expression was oddly serene. Kathryn was feeling anything but.

Gathering herself together she opened the door. "Goodbye Sebastian."


	8. The First Day of School

**Chapter 7: **

**The First Day of School**

* * *

"Oh my god! I loved your manifesto."

Annette offered up a well-practiced smile in the face of the girl's breathless exuberance. She was petite, with a short brunette pixie cut and impossibly wide big brown eyes. She was wearing hello kitty knee-socks, non-ironically. Her name was Sabrina…something or other. Annette couldn't recall as she stopped listening when she got distracted by her socks.

It was the first day of school and as she was new little Sabrina here had been assigned to show her around. Not that she needed the help. Annette had been studying and memorizing the Manchester brochure for _years_. She likely knew more about the school than her tour guide could ever hope to, but she played along as they walked the campus, nodding and asking questions she already knew the answer to.

Manchester prep founded in 1912 by Sebastian's great-great-granduncle. Located forty-five minutes outside the city in Westchester county, it was a picturesque sprawling campus filled with beautiful, ivy covered buildings that resembled old castles. Nearly half the student body lived on campus during the school year, mostly children of foreign dignitaries, celebrities and neglectful parents who wanted their freedom. The other half were mostly Manhattanites who took the train or were chauffeured in, like Kathryn and Sebastian. Annette and her father lived at Covington House, a beautiful three story Tudor style home a half a mile from the main campus. Obviously, she would have preferred to live in the city, but it was better than Kansas.

Anything was better than fucking Kansas.

Manchester was considered one of the premiere schools in the country. Former presidents, philosophers and royalty had all walked the hallowed halls at one time or another and now it was Annette's turn. She would finish out her education at Manchester and from there she would go on to Yale and then, well the world was hers. All the bullshit she had to contend with to get there, all the groveling to her father and head games had all been worth it.

"…and I just think you are such an inspiration and we are just so lucky to have you and your father here…"

God, if she didn't shut this girl up, she was likely to pass out from lack of oxygen. "That's so nice of you Sabrina," she cooed with false sweetness. "We are really excited to be here. Manchester is an amazing school. Everyone I've met so far has been so kind and welcoming."

Her smile dimmed a little at this. "I'm guessing you haven't met many people yet."

Annette smiled at her sardonic tone. "A few"

"Well, I'd love to introduce you to some people. We have the same lunch period, so maybe you could join us!"

She cringed inwardly at the thought of spending another minute in this overly earnest girl's company let alone a whole hour. Sabrina was likely harmless, but Annette knew if she wanted to succeed at Manchester she was going to need to associate with someone who didn't wear cartoon kittens on her socks.

"That's really kind of you Sabrina, but I—

"There you are."

Annette looked up just as Kathryn came sailing over. Perfect timing as always. She tried not to break into an idiot grin at the sight of her, but it was hard. Even dressed in the Draconian uniform she was gorgeous. "Hey Kathryn. Sabrina was just giving me a tour."

The other girl seemed to shrink a little in Kathryn's presence. "Hi Kathryn," she greeted her meekly. "I can't wait to hear your speech at the assembly this afternoon."

"Thanks." Kathryn flashed her a brief smile before turning back to Annette. "I'll be happy to show you around." She looped her arm around Annette's. "There's some people you _need_ to meet."

Sabrina attempted to interject. "Oh, but I'm supposed to—

"It's okay," Kathryn cut her off with a gracious smile. "I don't mind."

And with that she led her away, leaving a crestfallen Sabrina in her wake. Annette laughed once they were out of earshot. "Thanks for the save. I think she wanted to be best friends."

"Christ, I leave you alone for five minutes and already the nerds and losers are descending. Whatever would you do if I wasn't here to guide you?"

"Succeed?"

Kathryn shot her a look and she laughed. "You just met my biggest and only competition for student body president."

"Seriously? No wonder you're so confident."

"Pathetic little Sabrina runs every year and every year she loses. Miserably. It's tragic." As they strut down the crowded hall, nearly every student seemed to make it a point to step out of their way, as if royalty was arriving. Several greeted them, all with hopeful, eager eyes, hoping to grab the student body president's attention. Kathryn smiled graciously at all of them like a benevolent queen greeting her subjects.

"Tell me again why the school election is in the fall? You know at nearly every other school it's in the spring, right?"

"Maybe at public school," she huffed. "It's tradition, like everything else around here. Is that your schedule?"

Kathryn took it from her hands stopping to read it. "We're in AP bio together, European history. Ew, you have Mr. Geiger for French. I'll see if I can have you switched…"

As she spoke Annette became distracted by the high ceilings and beautiful stained-glass windows above their heads. "God, how do you ever get used to this?"

Following her gaze, Kathryn's brows knitted in confusion. "Get used to what?"

Annette shook her head. "Never mind." Glancing past her she noticed Cecile standing across the way, surrounded by a bevy of attentive boys. Apparently, word traveled fast around there.

"Well it appears your plans of Cecile was a rousing success."

Kathryn smirked. "Some of my best work. No doubt she'll be spending most of the semester on her back. Poor Court."

"Poor Ronald. You know he transferred here and gave up pre-Julliard just to be with her?"

"Oops"

Annette shook her head fondly. "You're such a cunt."

Kathryn handed her back her schedule, letting her hand brush her knuckles for a suggestive second. "Now, now, save the dirty talk for later." Gazing over her shoulder at something her expression changed. "I have to go put in an appearance." Annette turned to find a small gaggle of ridiculously beautiful girls watching them curiously. Kathryn's posse of minions no doubt. "Come along, I'll introduce you."

"Maybe later. I still have to swing by the office to pick up some paper work before first period."

She made a face. "Are you sure? They're dying to meet you."

Annette glanced back at the girls. The only one she recognized was Ainsley Porter, Kathryn's right-hand girl. During the summer, she walked in while Kathryn was going down on her and rather than interrupt, she silently stood in the corner until they finished and hadn't spared Annette so much as a glance the whole time. She was a beautiful icy blonde with a stare to match. According to Kathryn she was pathologically loyal and knew how to keep her mouth shut. Annette just found her creepy. The other girls in the group just looked like the typical rich bitch airheads. Annette really couldn't see herself being friends with any of them.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're _dying_ to hang out with the headmaster's daughter and the poster girl for teenage abstinence."

"They'll accept who I tell them to accept."

"I have no doubt, but I have to go, I'll see you at the assembly. Good luck with your speech."

"Fine. I'll find you later."

The truth was Annette had no interest in becoming another one of Kathryn's followers. She adored Kathryn, but she had no intention of living in her shadow. She wanted to carve out her own identity at Manchester—one that had nothing to do with Kathryn Merteuil. She might be stuck playing little miss seventeen magazine, but that didn't mean she had to stomp out all her aspirations in the process.

The question then became, who did she want to become here? She really had no interest in challenging Kathryn's position of queen of Manchester, but she was ambitious and if she wanted to get into Yale, her extra curriculars had to reflect that, which meant she was going to need to become a legitimate player at that school.

As she made her way to her locker, she noticed more than a few students watching her, including several boys eyeing her up. There was definite curiosity about her. She just had to figure out how to leverage that to her advantage. The kids at Manchester might be more sophisticated than they ones she grew up with, but they could still be managed. Case in point: Sebastian Valmont.

_Speak of the devil…_

While searching her locker, Annette noticed the chatter around her suddenly became louder and more insistent. As she turned, she spotted Sebastian making his way down the hall. Just as it had for his sister, the crowd seemed to part in front of him. Not that he seemed to notice. He passed by fawning girls with a barely concealed sneer, as he hid behind his signature shades. When he drew closer Annette noticed he was sporting a busted nose and black eye. _Shit, what had Kathryn done to him?_

Keeping her back turned to him, Annette waited until he was within hearing distance before murmuring lowly, "Rough weekend?"

"Eat shit," he growled as he walked past.

She laughed into her locker and made a mental note to ask Kathryn about it later. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed he nearly collided with another boy sending the boys books toppling to the ground. He turned and started cursing him out, but Sebastian was already brushing past him, unbothered. "You think you're such hot shit, don't you Valmont?" he yelled after him in vain

Sebastian tossed him the finger over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Watching the taller boy bend down to gather his things, Annette was about to help him (as that was what good-natured 'Annette Hargrove' would do) but she stopped when she heard him mutter, "Fucking faggot," under his breath.

_Well to hell with that. _

She started to turn around and walk away when he noticed her. Suddenly his whole demeanor changed and a boyish smile broke out on his handsome face. "Hey, you're Annette Hargrove, right?"

_Fuck_.

"Sure am"

Stepping forward he leaned against her locker and with all the arrogance of his class announced, "I'm Court Reynolds."

Annette nearly laughed out loud. Of course, this boy who looked like a handsome cartoon villain was Kathryn's ex. Court Reynolds was just as she imagined. Very tall, broad shouldered, with incredible hair and a politician's phony smile.

"Nice to meet you Court. I've heard a lot about you."

This clearly pleased him. "Oh? All good I hope."

_You wish asshole_. "Of course. Cecile was very complimentary."

Just as she anticipated, his face crumbled at the name of his promiscuous ex. "You know Cecile?"

"I met her a few times over the summer." She waited a beat before adding, "At Helen Rosemond's house."

He flinched. "Oh. You must have met her niece and nephew then?"

She shrugged. "Just briefly."

Court leaned closer, as if getting ready to disclose a secret. "Word of advice? You're going to want to stay far away from them. They're not what they seem." He glanced down the hallway as if afraid of being overheard. "Especially Kathryn."

"Oh? She was very friendly."

He let out a short, mean laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure she was. Look, the girl is a total headcase. Trust me on this. Avoid her at all costs."

"Thanks," Annette replied pleasantly, "But I can take care of myself."

She started away only to have him jump in front of her. "Hey, um, I didn't mean to come across all aggressive and intense." Court laughed, trying to appear easy going. "I'm not like that at all, it's just Manchester can be kind of rough for newcomers. You're from Utah, right?"

"Kansas"

"Right." He gave her a once over that made her skin crawl. "Well listen, I'd love to show you around, you know introduce you to the right people—"

"That sounds great, but I have to get going. I have to stop by the chapel before class to…pray."

"Awesome," he replied, gazing at her like he just sprouted wood. Gross, he really did have a virgin fetish. "It's so rare to meet a girl who's genuinely into that stuff. I'd love to talk about it sometime. How about over lunch?"

God, what was it with this place? She really was a beacon for assholes and losers. "That's so sweet of you Court, but you should know I have a boyfriend back in Kansas."

He didn't seem bothered in the least. Offering up a boyish smile he told her, "Well he's a lucky guy, but the offer still stands. I'd love to, uh, show you around."

"Aren't you seeing Cecile?"

He scowled. "No, I ended things last weekend. She, uh, wasn't who I thought she was. Turns out she was sleeping with a bunch of people behind my back."

Annette let out a theatrical gasp. "Oh my god, that's terrible."

He nodded. "Yeah, it sucks. I really liked her you know?" He shook his head. "Anyway, what do you, how about that tour? Believe it or not I can be a really charming guy when I want to be."

Court ran a hand down her arm and she had to stop herself from flinging it off. Needing to get rid of him, she smiled. "Okay, great. I have third period free. Want to meet by the Library?"

"Sure thing." He actually winked at her. "See you later beautiful."

As he turned to walk away, Annette rolled her eyes. Of course, she had no intention of meeting him, even if she didn't have calc third period. Apparently, there was a boy more loathsome in this school than Sebastian Valmont. Who would have thought?

Slamming her locker shut, her earlier enthusiasm for school considerably dimmed, she muttered, "It's going to be a long goddamn day."

* * *

"Well Sebastian, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Slumped in his chair, Sebastian heaved out a sigh as he regarded the headmaster looming over him with barely concealed contempt. He attempted to school his features into a look of contrition, but it just wasn't happening. He seriously wasn't in the mood for this shit. Finally, he muttered, "Sorry?"

"Is that an apology or a question? And take off those sunglasses young man!" When Sebastian didn't comply fast enough, he ripped them off himself then winced as he took in his badly bruised nose. "Oh my. What happened there?"

"I ran into a door," he drawled sarcastically while once again cursing Kathryn's impeccable aim. Who knew a girl who could barely hold the door open for herself had it in her?

"Son, it is only the first day of school," the headmaster sighed, looking exhausted himself. "Perhaps you should pace yourself."

Sebastian nearly smirked at that. Sitting up straighter in his seat he addressed him with a tight, fake smile. "Look sir, this wasn't my fault. She's the one who attacked me. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, trying to enjoy the assembly when the next thing I know she had her head in my lap."

"And your genitals in her mouth?"

"Exactly! I tried to push her away, but she was very…enthusiastic." Sebastian tried not to grin as he remembered just how enthusiastic she was. Sheri Whitefeather easily gave the best head in the school. "Just between you and me sir I think she might have some problems." He tapped the side of his head for emphasis. "_Mentally_ I mean. Everyone knows she's a nympho." He didn't mean to throw old Sheri under the bus, but it couldn't be helped.

The headmaster, however, was clearly not buying what he was selling. "Be that as it may," he growled with strained patients, "It doesn't excuse the fact that not only were you engaging in sexual congress on school grounds, but you disrupted the first assembly of the new year and humiliated your sister. Again."

Yeah, he hadn't made any plans to cry over that one. Just picturing the pissed off look on Kathryn's face when she realized it was him who was moaning his head off and interrupting her stupid speech was enough to make him spunk in poor Sheri's mouth. Totally worth it.

"…and to treat her in such a disrespectful manner after everything your sister has done for you…" the headmaster droned on. Sebastian rolled his eyes. Yes, he was well aware of what his sister had 'done' for him, namely telling anyone who would listen that he had some kind of drug problem. _Bitch_. Sebastian arrived at school that morning to discover the rumor mill was churning out all sorts of bullshit about his apparent 'condition'. Showing up looking as if he just went five rounds with a prize fighter wasn't helping matters.

"You can rest assured sir," he interrupted the older man's rant, "I'll more than make it up to my darling sister." The headmaster gave him an uneasy look as if he didn't quite trust what he was saying. Sebastian flashed him his most Eddie Haskell smile and added, "Trust me. Kathryn and I have an…understanding."

"Right, well. I'll leave that between the two of you then. Now, about—

"So where is Sheri?" Sebastian interrupted wondering why he was the only one who got dragged in there. After all she wasn't exactly an unwilling participant.

The headmaster cleared his throat again, clearly a nervous tick. "She went home. She wasn't feeling well."

"It must have been something she ate," Sebastian remarked with an unapologetic lascivious smirk.

The older man's eyes narrowed as he straightened up, getting ready to lay into him. However, before he could there was a knock at his door. Looking annoyed the headmaster called out, "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt," came a distinctly female and all too familiar voice, "But Mrs. Hopkins said to give this to you right away."

Sebastian half turned to find Annette standing in the doorway. Her eyes briefly landed on him before sailing back to her father. Smiling sweetly, she added, "She said it was important."

"Yes of course, of course." The headmaster waved his daughter in, "Please come in Annette."

The blonde crossed over to her father, primly ignoring Sebastian as she passed. She handed her father off some paper work. "Ah yes, I've been expecting this," he muttered distractedly as he looked it over. "Oh, um, I believe you two know each other."

Sebastian smirked. "You could say that."

"Kind of," Annette spoke up at the same time.

The headmaster glanced up from his paperwork, his beady eyes going back between them. Sebastian wondered if he suspected they fucked. Judging by the sour look on his face he was guessing yes.

When the man turned his attention back to the papers in his hand, Sebastian distracted himself by staring at his daughter's ass that was right in front of him. Annette may be a grade A bitch, but she had a fantastic ass. Unable to resist, Sebastian slipped a hand up the back of her skirt. As she was standing with her back to him, he didn't have a great view of her face he could read her body language. Annette didn't so much as flinch.

She was good, he'd give her that. Deciding to push even further he ran his fingers over her ass before slipping them between her legs. A muscle jumped in her porcelain cheek, but otherwise she gave no outward indication that he was teasing her.

"Oh!" the headmaster exclaimed as he looked up from his reading momentarily startling him. "Let me just add something to this." As the older man got up and turned around to retrieve something from his filing cabinet, Sebastian pushed his digits under the elastic of his precious daughter's panties. Before he could reach the promise land, Annette grabbed his hand and violently bent back his fingers.

"OWWW! FUCK!" Sebastian wailed in pain, immediately snatching his hand back.

Headmaster Hargrove wheeled around, alarmed. "Is something wrong son?"

Clutching his hand, he tried to play it off telling him lamely, "I, uh, pinched my finger…on the chair."

"You should be more careful," Annette offered sweetly before turning around to face him. With her back to her father, her sweet smile evaporated, and she mouthed, "_fuck off_," at him. Sebastian sneered back at her, swallowing the curse that was threatening to jump out of him.

"Well Sebastian, normally this type of situation would call for an immediate suspension. But, since I know you're going through some things in your personal life at the moment, I think we can take that off the table."

Sebastian contained the urge to roll his eyes. They both knew his supposed 'problems' had no bearing on the situation. His family practically owned Manchester and his Aunt ran the school board. He couldn't touch Sebastian and they both knew it. However, he thought it best not to remind him of the fact. Not now at least.

Instead he forced a smile. "Thank you, sir."

"Well then, what are we going to do with you?"

"If I may make a suggestion?" Annette pipped up.

"No," Sebastian grumbled at the same time the headmaster told her, "Go ahead."

"Why doesn't Sebastian join the new volunteer program. Mrs. Rosemond was talking about it over the summer. I think he would make an excellent addition not to mention it could teach him a lot about team work and giving back to others."

_Fuck no._

Of course, the headmaster's face just lit up at the idea. "I think that's a wonderful suggestion Annette. What do you say Sebastian? Instead of detention you can work it off at the volunteer program. Every day after school. For a month."

Sebastian's face fell. Annette turned around with a beaming, proud smile. "Our first job is going to be at the soup kitchen on second avenue. It should be fun!"

He couldn't very well tell the headmaster to fuck off. At least not to his face. Glaring stonily into his ex's pleased face he grumbled, "Sounds swell."

"Great!" Annette replied as perky as a cheerleader. "I can go with you now to sign up if you like."

"Excellent idea," Headmaster Asshole agreed. "Why don't you two run off before the last bell." Sebastian reluctantly followed Annette out of the room. "Oh, and son? I'll be checking in on you to see how things are going. _Daily_."

"Awesome," Sebastian told him with a phony smile before turning to leave.

When the door shut closed behind them, Sebastian's smile fell. He followed after Annette as she exited the administration office and stepped into the empty hallway. "You almost broke my fucking finger," he snarled at her.

Her perky expression had been replaced with a knowing smirk. "Boo hoo," she mocked as she flicked at his bruised nose. "Perhaps you ought to learn to keep your hands to yourself then."

"Yeah? You should do the same with your advice." Rolling her eyes Annette headed down the hall with him following. "Soup kitchen? I'm not fucking doing that shit."

"I beg to differ asshole," she shot back. "Your dear aunt Helen is spearheading the volunteer initiative and if she finds out you ditched it would just break her heart. Not to mention she might agree with my father that suspending you is the best course of action."

Turning on her heel, with a triumphant grin she started away, but he pulled her back. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

Annette gave him a dismissive once over. "Only when compared to some." Crossing her arms to her chest she asked, "Is this your grand plan, to continually make an ass out of yourself in public? Cause I have to say as far as revenge scenarios go, it's kind of lame."

Ignoring the cutting remark, Sebastian reached out and caressed her bare neck. As memory serves, she used to like that. "Did you hear us?"

"Everyone heard you. You two weren't exactly discreet—which I assume was the point."

"Jealous?"

Annette brushed his hand away irritably. "Of what? That poor girl forced to choke down your mediocre cock? Oh yes, desperately," she sneered sarcastically.

"Speaking of desperate," he sighed, "This whole thing reeks of my darling sister. I take it she sent you to do her bidding?"

Forcing volunteer work on him was classic Kathryn, not to mention a perfect fuck you for humiliating her at the assembly.

Annette didn't deny it. "She's trying to distance herself from you."

"Let me guess? So as not to tarnish her precious rep? Funny she doesn't seem too terribly concerned about yours though." Tapping her head condescendingly he remarked, "What a loyal little rug muncher you are."

She swatted his hand away with a scowl then strut off down the hall. Sebastian however wasn't quite done. "Not that I owe you anything," he called after her, "But let me offer you a friendly bit of advice." He waited until she stopped and turned back, before approaching her with a slow prowl. "Enjoy it while it lasts. It's only a matter of time until she gets bored and you're no longer her favorite toy."

"Like you?"

"Touché," he smiled. "Learn from my mistakes. Get the fuck out while you still can."

Annette looked far from impressed. "Do you honestly expect me to listen to a word you say?" She turned and strut down the hall towards one of the extra curriculum rooms.

"No," Sebastian replied, falling into step beside her. "But you're smart, _supposedly_. You know Kathryn will only look out for herself."

She turned and pivoted in front of a closed door with a clip board attached to it. Shoving the sign-up sheet into his hands she remarked," Sebastian you don't know the first thing about your sister. That idiotic journal of yours proves it."

"Oh? Enlighten me." He reluctantly signed the sheet while perusing it to see what losers he was stuck with. "You think you, having only known her, what a few months, knows her better than myself who's been dealing with her crazy ass for fucking years? Get real"

"Yep." She snapped the clipboard away from him, grabbing his attention. "You honestly think a girl who spends half her life with a coke spoon up her nose and the other half throwing up dinner, doesn't _feel_ anything? _**Wake up**_," she hissed. "All that girl does is feel. Only her feelings aren't as pretty or tidy as the insipid morons you chase around after. She's angry and self-loathing and scared. But _you_ who can't be bothered to see past the thinnest of smoke screens only see a scary bitch with nice tits. Maybe if you were a smidge less self-involved, if you hadn't taken her for granted and refused to look no further than the surface, _maybe_ you wouldn't have lost her in the first place."

Sebastian was momentarily taken aback by the ferociousness of Annette's remarks and for a split second he felt…guilty although he couldn't be sure why. Just as suddenly as the feeling appeared, he shoved it away. He wasn't about to be dictated to by this little know it all who clearly had her head too buried up his stepsister's twat to realize she was being played. He knew Kathryn goddammit, he knew her better than anyone. Certainty better than Annette Hargrove.

"Well aren't we the loyal little cunt lapper. You know there was a time, not that long ago, I felt that too. Undying loyalty. I thought it was me and her against the world. I thought we were partners—equals." Sebastian shook his head, trying to play it as flippant but failing miserably. He paused a moment when he felt him voice start to crack. "But I see now it was all a lie. I was just her captive audience." Leaning in closely to her he murmured pointedly, "I would have burned the world down for her too, almost did on a few occasions." Annette flinched at the remark, likely remembering when she said those very words to her. He searched her face intently for signs that his remarks were dismantling her confidence, but she remained inscrutable. Leaning back, he remarked flippantly, "There is no smoke screen Hargrove. Only a bottom-less pit of hatred and selfishness."

She looked as though she was about to argue when the bell suddenly rang out quickly followed by the stampede of students exiting classes. Annette drew back from him and started away. Sebastian called out, "By the way, I want my journal back."

"Can't. Kathryn burned it."

"What?" Brushing past students as he caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "That was my most prized possession."

Annette flung his hand off. "Well that's just sad isn't it? Maybe you shouldn't have just given it away to someone you've only known a few weeks."

Sebastian smiled sarcastically and was about to offer up his own sharp retort when he noticed Annette's attention focused elsewhere. He followed her gaze across the hall and wasn't at all surprised to find Kathryn, surrounded as always by her legion of dim-witted minions. Annette seemed completely hypnotized by her. There was a time not so long ago he would have felt the same way.

"Look at them, lining up to suck her dick," he sneered in disgust.

"She's magnetic."

"She's psychotic."

Annette side eyed him and let out a light laugh. "The lady doth protest too much, I believe"

"Excuse me?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's _Hamlet_."

"Yeah I'm aware, I'm not fucking retarded."

With her gaze still lingering on his stepsister she remarked, "You talk a good game Valmont, but you're still pathetically transparent. As much as you claim to hate her, you're still totally hung up on her."

"Now I'm going to vomit," he retorted dryly.

Annette turned to him, eyes shining with mischief. "I wonder what bothers you more, the fact that she got to me first or the fact that I got to her at all—_unlike you_."

"A distinction you share with half the borough, I assure you." Turning Sebastian had every intention of exiting the conversation until a poster advertising the upcoming school election caught his eye. Kathryn of course was a shoe in. Nobody ever dares run against her with the exception of Sabrina Van Holt, a total narc nobody could stand. Smiling briefly to himself Sebastian wondered if it was time for a change.

"Ever think about it?" He nodded to the poster. "You were student body president of that fly over state high school of yours, weren't you?"

"Yes," she sighed. "And no, I have no interest. That's Kathryn's thing."

"So of course it's off limits to you. Funny, you don't strike me as the type of girl to take orders. Even from Kathryn."

Annette examined the poster with little interest and smiled. "Let me guess you think I should run against her, so she turns against me and then we destroy each other? How terribly original of you Valmont."

"While it is a lovely thought, I don't think it's very realistic. After all Kathryn is practically an institution at this school, beloved by all." Looking her over he remarked flippantly, "You wouldn't really stand a chance."

"Reverse psychology? Wow! You are good at this." Sneering she asked, "Any other cliché's you'd like to throw at me before I head off to make out with your sister."

He shrugged. "I guess not. You're just far too smart for me Hargrove." Just then Lara Buchannan and her luscious tits passed by offering up her best flirty smile. Sebastian easily returned it, giving off the impression of being distracted. "Oh well duty calls. If you'll excuse me."

Wrapping an arm around the giggling blond, he slipped his shades back on then paused as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh Annette, by the way, in case you're curious, there's a substantial scholarship attached to the position. My sister of course has no use for it, but it might be intriguing to someone else. Someone who wanted to attend _Yale_ for instance." Just as he expected a flicker of interest crossed her pretty face. Leading Lara away and called over his shoulder, "Just in case you know of anyone who's interested!"

* * *

"So, are you going to tell me what really happened between you and Sebastian?"

Kathryn, who had been in the middle of working open the buttons of Annette's school uniform while simultaneously teasing her earlobe, paused at the question. They were currently entwined on one of the backless settee's in the main parlor of the Valmont townhouse. Kathryn had sensed Annette wanted to talk to her about this all day and she had been doing her level best to distract her. Apparently, it wasn't good enough.

"I already did," she replied airily. Then, in a not so subtle gesture, she slipped her hand up her shirt and teased her puckered nipple through her bra.

Annette bit into her bottom lip and ground down against Kathryn's thigh pressed between her legs. However, the blonde would not be so easily distracted. Grabbing a handful of Kathryn's hair, she jerked her back, until she was looking into Annette's laughing eyes. "Nice try. _Talk_."

She let out a long, annoyed sigh. "I told you. He was getting handsy with me, so I kindly reminded him what happens when he touches me without my expressed, authorized permission." Smiling at the memory of her stepbrother's bloody face she added, "He got the message."

"So, he was just randomly touching you?" Annette inquired skeptically. "You wouldn't have been provoking him at all, would you?"

Kathryn cocked an eyebrow. "Victim blaming, really?"

Annette let out a throaty chuckle. "Kathryn you are many things, but a victim isn't one of them. Is that really all that happened?"

Averting her eyes, she pretended to be preoccupied by a piece of lint on Annette's sweater. "It was nothing. Just Sebastian being his usual obnoxious self." Even as she said it however, something that felt an awfully lot like guilt, settled unwanted in her stomach. She remembered the heat of Sebastian's mouth on hers. Just as quickly she mentally shook it off. She had nothing to feel guilty for, she reminded herself. It wasn't like she kissed him back.

"Did you talk to him about us?"

Kathryn's head shot up, her gaze meeting Annette's. As usual it was completely unreadable. She thought about lying, but then it occurred to her if she was asking, she probably already knew the answer. "I might have told him a few things that went down this summer." Annette rolled her eyes flopping back on the couch with an annoyed sigh. Kathryn scrambled to fix it. "It's not like I told him everything."

"Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do—"

"That's good."

"But you get that he's trying to destroy us, right?"

Kathryn sighed. "Of course."

"Then can you maybe stop handing him the ammunition? I get it, you two were close and you're use to confiding in him about everything—"

"Not everything," she interjected defensively.

"Well that journal says otherwise." In a softer tone she murmured, "You're not on the same team anymore. Anything you tell him, he's just going to use it to hurt us."

Part of her was annoyed Annette thought she had to tell her this, like she was too inept to keep her mouth shut. On the other hand, she knew she was right. It had been colossally stupid to tell Sebastian anything in the first place. Not to mention it did feel like she violated Annette's trust. However, in all fairness it wasn't like Kathryn was used to caring about violating anybody's anything. Still she knew if she wanted to keep this thing with Annette safe, she was going to have to put more distance between herself and Sebastian.

"You're right," she admitted. "I'm sorry, it was stupid. I guess old habits die hard."

Annette cupped her face, her thumb rubbing gently against her porcelain cheek. "If we let him, he'll tear us apart."

"I won't let that happen," Kathryn promised before leaning in kissing her mouth gently. Annette wrapped her hand around her neck, pulling her closer as she deepened the kiss, her tongue crashing against Kathryn's. She started to lose herself in Annette until she remembered something from earlier that morning.

"You need to be on guard as well." Kathryn recalled seeing the two of them with their heads together and it brought back uncomfortable memories of the summer, when she felt as if she was losing them both. "Don't let him get in your head," she advised sternly.

"I won't."

Kathryn sighed. "Don't be fooled by his idiotic juvenile behavior. It's just a smokescreen. Sebastian can be ruthless when he wants to be."

Annette let out a dismissive snort. "Please. My dick is bigger than his."

"Well, I guess that answers, who's the butch is this relationship," Sebastian quipped as he came sailing into the parlor, still dressed in his school uniform.

Both girls made a face at his arrival, with Kathryn cursing herself that she hadn't insisted they go back to her room. Sebastian stopped short in front of the settee. "I hope you two aren't planning on fucking there. Your mother just had that reupholstered."

Ignoring him, Kathryn inquired with false sweetness, "How did volunteering go?"

"Not bad actually. I spent the whole time in the pantry with Tatum Stine. Are you aware that girl has virtually no gag reflex?"

"And apparently no taste," Annette remarked.

"Either way she promised to cover for me with the headmaster for the rest of the mouth." Leaning over he flicked at Annette's nose teasingly. "Better luck next time bitch."

Noticing the small brace on her stepbrother's finger Kathryn laughed. "How's the finger?"

As both girls giggled his smug expression melted into a sneer. "Eat me."

Kathryn ran a finger up Annette's thigh tauntingly. "You know better than to touch what's mine."

"Trust me, I have no intentions of touching either one of you ever again."

"Oh poo," Annette pouted before the both erupted in laughter.

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he fixed himself a drink at the wet bar. Kathryn momentarily forgot that her stepbrother didn't tolerate being laughed at. There was something about being with Annette that made her feel invincible.

"So, sis," he called out sounding far too casual. "Are you feeling confident about this year's election?"

"Of course," she replied haughtily, "The only competition is sad little Sabrina and no one in their right mind will vote for that loser."

"Hmm. Well I heard a rumor she's not your only competition." His voice low and louche he announced, "Apparently there's a dark horse in the running."

Kathryn sat up a little straighter. "Who?"

Sebastian looked over at them, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he announced with obvious relish, "Annette."

She immediately jerked back from the blonde she was currently wrapped around and looked at her accusingly. Annette merely rolled her eyes in response. "I'm not running," she told her.

"You're making a mistake," he sing songed, filling up his glass again. "Student body president looks mighty fine on a college application not to mention the scholarship money…"

Kathryn wanted to tell him to shut the fuck up, but she knew that was what he wanted, to provoke her. Instead she studied Annette's face, trying to see if he was getting to her, but Annette appeared to be ignoring him, as she stared into Kathryn's eyes smirking. "Not interested," she told him. Kathryn smiled letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Annette knew what the election meant to her. She would never let herself be swayed by Sebastian's bullshit.

"Perhaps I should get into politics," Sebastian pondered.

At this Kathryn let out a short laugh. "Oh, but when will you have time what with your busy schedule of volunteering, binge drinking and tending to the sluts of Manchester?"

"Ah, don't worry sis, I'll always make time for you," he replied with a wink.

Kathryn was about to deliver another sharp retort only for Annette to sit up, entangling herself from her. "And on that note," she sighed, "I have to get going."

"Nooo," Kathryn whined trying to pull her back when she got up from the couch. It was becoming nearly impossible to get Annette alone for more than an hour at a time ever since her father came into town. She finally had her all to herself and all they had done was talk—and about Sebastian of all things. Pouting she urged, "Stay. Sebastian's about to go jerk off in his room anyway."

"I'd love to, but I can't. My father's insisting that I have dinner with him and some of the faculty members tonight. I'm late as it is." She tossed her bag over her shoulder and leaned down for a final, lingering kiss. "I'll call you later."

"Don't worry," Sebastian told her with a lazy smirk, "I'll keep an eye on her for you."

Glaring, Annette walked over to him and leaned in. In a loud whisper she told him, "You touch her again and I'll rip your dick clear off, pretty boy." Then for added emphasis that she wasn't fucking around she ran her fist into his injured finger sitting on the bar.

Sebastian hissed in pain as she strolled away. "Better run along to daddy."

Annette swung back around, her smile just as cutting as his earlier one. "Oh Sebastian, for the record, unlike you—I did put it everywhere." Looking back at Kathryn she blew her a kiss and strut out of the room.

Kathryn laughed, swinging her legs around the side of the settee. "It's true, she did," she confirmed.

"Ugh."

He took his drink and collapsed on the sofa opposite her. With his head tilted back he held the cold drink against his bruised face. He looked exhausted. Kathryn almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Getting up from her seat she plopped down next to him and gently pried his hands away. Sebastian immediately went still, eying her warily. "What are you doing?"

Gently touching his face, she examined his bruises. "Just seeing if it's heeled any. Does it still hurt?"

He shrugged. "A little."

Kathryn nodded and when she was sure his guard was down, she shoved the palm of her hand as hard as she could into his nose.

"What the fuck?!" Sebastian bellowed, his drink falling to the sofa as he clutched his battered face.

"What did you tell her?" she calmly demanded.

"Nothing! Jesus Christ!"

"I'm warning you," Kathryn told him remaining as calm and unaffected as she could, "Stay the hell away from her."

"Or what?" he snapped, letting go of his face and picking up the glass and ice cubes from where they scattered. "You're forgetting I'm not the one with anything to lose."

"Is that so?" Kathryn got up and placed her knee between his legs then pressed hard against his balls. Sebastian groaned in pain before pushing her away, nearly sending her toppling over the side. Righting herself she stood over him and warned, "You want to do some damage? You want to make someone pay? Then be a man and come after me. Leave her out of this."

Wanting to have the last word, Kathryn turned heel and started for her bedroom. Only Sebastian wasn't going to let it go so easily. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were in love with her."

Kathryn paused. Perhaps she should have denied it or pretended she hadn't heard him. Instead she found herself doing the one thing she promised Annette she wouldn't: sharing valuable intel. Shoulders square, chin raised, she asked defiantly, "So what if I am?"

Sebastian whirled around so fast, he knocked his drink over again. She supposed it was almost worth it to see the stupefied look on his face. Sebastian's usual mask of indifference had completely evaporated leaving a kaleidoscope of emotions to play out on his face like a picture screen—astonishment, bemusement, and a brief flicker of disappointment. Getting to his feet he crossed over to her. "You can't be serious. I thought high school love was only for losers," he told her echoing some statement she made what felt like years ago.

Kathryn shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe I was wrong."

He shook his head, still looking floored by this. "Unbelievable."

"Is it really so inconceivable that I could have feelings for another human being?"

"Yes," he replied without missing beat. "So, what, are you telling me you're turning over a new leaf?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she sniffed, "I'm not _you_. I don't have some secret hard on to be a better person. That's the thing about Annette," she explained contemplatively, "I don't have to pretend to be anyone else. I can be myself and she accepts it."

"Really? So, you think she'd still accept you if she knew all your dark secrets?" she challenged.

"Yes," she told him, completely assured.

Sebastian edged closer to her, his sharp gaze drinking in her features. She knew he was trying to sniff out a weakness, looking for any sign that he was dismantling her confidence. Kathryn refused to give him anything. Then a slow, knowing smile crept onto his face and he asked, "Even if she knew what you did to Darcy?"

Kathryn flinched and she knew it that moment she gave herself away. _Shit_.

"If I go down for that, so do you. After all, recording and distributing sex with a minor is a felony. Darcy's father is one of the top litigators in the country. I'm sure he'd love to know who violated his little girl and posted it on the internet."

Sebastian shrugged, unbothered. "I'm willing to take my chances. How about you?"

"Sebastian…"

She tried to form an argument in her head, tried to think of something that wouldn't make her sound desperate, but Sebastian was already sailing past her, smirking in triumph. "Don't worry," he called over his shoulder, his voice unbearably smug, "I won't say a word. After all, who am I to stand in the way of true love?"

* * *

"You will not believe what I just found out," Sebastian gleefully proclaimed as he busted in unannounced to Blaine's dorm room the following day. "What the hell are you doing?"

Blaine and two twinks were standing around a guy laid out on a table, naked and covered in sushi. Tuttle glanced over his shoulder at him. "Hey Valmont," he greeted him distractedly. "I'm arranging centerpieces for my party."

"Ah yes," Sebastian slumped down on a plush leather chair, "The annual back to school orgy. Aren't you concerned about being busted by headmaster hardass?"

Blaine swung around and smiled broadly. "On the contrary, I have it on good authority that our illustrious headmaster will be out of town that weekend, off spreading the word of the lord or some such shit."

"Leaving you to spread—

"The freshman of my choosing," Blaine finished for him with a salacious grin. "Now, what were you babbling about?"

Sebastian sat forward eager, ready to spill when he caught the other two boys, who he was pretty sure where juniors listening in. He waved his hand dismissively and told him, "In private."

Blaine sighed then snapped his fingers at them. "Out, we'll discuss room assignments later." The two scurried away and Sebastian gave a pointed look at the man dressed in uncooked fish. Blaine waved him away. "He's a rental from out of town. What's up?"

"Are you ready for this? I just had the most enlightening conversation with my dear sister. Apparently, she and Annette are in love."

Blaine's dark eyebrows rose so high they threatened to jump into his bleached locks. "Well that is interesting." He laughed. "Kathryn in love…what a scary prospect."

"No kidding."

Tuttle gave him a bit of side eye as he turned to light a cigarette. "You're taking this better than I thought you would. Considering your history."

Sitting back in his seat, schooling his features into indifference he told him, "I'm long over Annette."

"That wasn't who I was referring to."

"I'm long over _that_ as well," he told him with a pointed look.

"Well as fascinating as all this is, I don't see how it helps your cause any."

"Don't you get it?" Sebastian jumped to his feet and began to pace with excess energy. "They're in love, with means they're vulnerable, which means they can be _destroyed_. God, how did I not see this earlier?"

"Too busy drowning in self-pity?"

Sebastian sneered at him even though he knew he was right. He needed to pull his head out of his ass and get back in the game. "Up until now, there's been nobody to challenge Kathryn. She has no equal, not even I could take her down. But Annette…she's just as fucked up as Kathryn. Maybe even more so. I'm going to turn them against one another and then watch them tare each other apart," he explained gleefully.

"Hmm…yeah, I don't think you can pull it off."

Sebastian stopped his pacing. "Excuse me?"

Blaine shrugged unapologetic. "Sorry to say beautiful, but I think you've lost your edge. Face it, those ladies have bested you at every turn while you meanwhile…" he reached out and tilted his chin to the side examining his bruised nose and tsked, "You can't seem to stop getting punched in the face."

Yanking his face away, Sebastian spat a familiar phrase. "Care to make a wager on that?"

Blaine shook his head, deeply amused. "No," he laughed, "_Hell no_, you have bad juju when it comes to wagers." Circling around his table, examining the boy on display he added, "And frankly I'd like to be excused from this narrative all together."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the dismissal. He didn't know why he was so surprised. Blaine had made it plenty clear a few weeks ago that he was too much of a pussy to get mixed up with Kathryn. "Fine," he growled as he stormed to the door, "Enjoy your party."

Blaine groaned. "Valmont?"

"What?" He spun around annoyed.

"I suppose, in interest of leveling the playing field, I could share with you one thing."

"What is it?"

Popping a piece of yellowtail into his mouth he grinned and told him, "I don't suppose Kathryn ever told you about her fuck pad?"


	9. The Fuck Pad

**Chapter 8: The Fuck Pad**

* * *

Breakfast was fast becoming the worst part of Annette's day.

As always, it was on account of her father. Normally she had no trouble avoiding him. At school they were both usually too busy to deal with one another. On one of the few occasions they did have to share the same space, they were always cordial, performing their familiar routine of a loving father/daughter relationship. Annette had purposely signed up for enough after school activities so she could avoid him in the hours before dinner. Her father, being the pompous asshole he was, insisted on sharing dinner with faculty members or people from the congregation of his church. Even weekends, if she couldn't sneak out of the house, she stayed in her room and he let her be. It seemed as if he was as eager to avoid her as she was of him.

But for some reason mornings were when he chose to strike. Annette suspected he knew she was at her weakest before she had her coffee. Sadly, she needed coffee to function so skipping it wasn't an option. On the few occasions she tried to avoid him by leaving early, he still somehow managed to beat her to the punch. It was if he was constantly lying in wait to shit on her day.

That morning for instance, she purposely came down late, hoping he'd get tired of waiting for her and leave. Annette had assumed her plan had been successful when he wasn't waiting for her in the kitchen, so she leisurely enjoyed a bowl of cornflakes and coffee while reading _The New York Times_ on her tablet. She was half way into an article on education reform when her father came sailing into the room. Annette rolled her eyes so hard she was in danger of giving herself a migraine.

"Good morning Annette. It's nice to see you decided to join us today," he quipped, filling up his own cup of coffee. "I thought you were going to sleep through first period. How do you think that would look if my own daughter couldn't make it to class on time?"

Annette shoveled a spoonful of cornflakes into her mouth and glared at him. She chomped loudly on her food, hoping to drown out his endless disappointment. It didn't take.

"You were late coming in last night," he noted with a frown. "Where were you?"

"I told you," she sighed, washing down her cereal with a swig of coffee. "I was at Kathryn's helping her with campaign posters. And I was home before ten."

She could tell her father wanted to probe that explanation further. He'd probably even talk to Kathryn later to see if she was lying. How disappointed he'd be when he found out she was telling the truth.

"I don't like you spending so much time at the Valmont's. Kathryn is a lovely girl, but that brother of hers is a degenerate."

"Well brace yourself dad." Annette cleaned her mouth with a napkin before tossing it aside and getting to her feet. "For once you and I are in total agreement."

"Oh really? And here I thought you two were…"

"_No_," she told him firmly gathering her school books. "God no. Are we done?"

Without waiting for an answer, she started for the door only for him to call out, "By the way, I just heard the representative for Kansas University is attending college week next month. I thought I'd have him over to the house, so you could make an impression."

Annette let out a scoff of scorn. "Why would I want to do that? I'm not attending that shitty state school. I'm going to Yale. I guess you'll have to make an impression all on your own."

"Yale?" her father echoed as if this was the first time hearing about it. As if she hadn't been dropping hints and talking about it for the better part of two years.

"Yes, Daddy, Yale," she spat with barely concealed patients. "You know that's where I plan to go."

The headmaster offered up his best condescending smile. "Do you really think you're Yale material Annette? Ivy league schools are for the best of the best. It's a little out of your league don't you think?"

He was trying to dismantle her confidence of course. He lived for it. Her father wouldn't be happy until he had her crushed down into a little box. Annette would sooner die than give him the satisfaction. "I'm just as smart as anyone else, my grades are certainly better, as are my extra curriculars. And thanks to you, I'm now the daughter of the headmaster of the most prestigious prep school in the country."

Her father frowned, his fingers tapping against the side of his ceramic mug irritably. He knew she was right. "Even if you could manage to get in, there is the question of money. We simply can't afford an Ivy league school." He then turned around, effectively ending the conversation.

"Bullshit," Annette snapped losing her cool. "You sold the house in Kansas and Manchester is footing the bill here. You have plenty of cash, you just don't want to—

"Watch your language young lady," he reprimanded her. "Now that is my money and I will spend it how I see fit. You are entitled to nothing."

Glaring at him mutinously she tried to get her temper under control. She had learned long ago the worst thing you could do in a fight was to let your emotions show. It was the surest way to lose an argument. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked flatly. "Every other parent in the world would kill to have their child get an ivy league education."

"Well I guess I'm not every parent. Besides, I think it's for the best that you stay close to home. You'll attend Kansas U and stay with your grandmother so she can keep an eye on you."

To Annette that suggestion was a fate worse than death. Her grandmother was even more holier than thou than her father. "So that's your endgame, huh? You honestly think I'm going to agree to go back there so the two of you can hold me hostage and then marry me off to the church going yokel of your choosing? Think again."

"It's that or you can attend the missionary program with the church."

"I'd rather set myself on fire thank you," she huffed dryly. "Aren't you forgetting something? I'll be eighteen soon enough and then you'll have no legal rights over me anymore. I can do whatever I want."

"Not without money you can't," he reminded her with a patronizing grin.

Annette shrugged unbothered. "Then I'll get a scholarship or apply for a student loan."

"Have you heard from any yet? That might be a little difficult given our income bracket." Annette realized with sinking dread that once again her father was one step ahead of her. Had he been shutting down her scholarship avenues this whole time? Judging by the smug smile he wore it was clear he knew he was winning this battle. "I think you should leave that money for people who really need it, don't you?"

Grasping the shoulder strap of her leather bag, so tightly her knuckles turned white she hissed at him, "You haven't won. I _will_ go to Yale and I _will_ get the hell away from you if it's the last fucking thing I do."

With that dramatic announcement, she marched out of the house, slamming the door angrily behind her. As she strut across the lush green grass of the Manchester great lawn, her loafers squishing loudly atop the newly wet grass, she was for once grateful she on school property. It she had to commute she would have time with her thoughts and then she might have talked herself out of what she was about to do.

There was no way Annette was going back to Kansas or anywhere else. She had done all this, plotted and schemed her way to Manchester just so she could be that much closer to that which she wanted most. Freedom. Freedom from her father and his ridged rules and his precious religion. Freedom from ever having to live under anyone's thumb ever again. She wanted to go to Yale, get a first-class education, she wanted a career that she was passionate about, that showed her the world and not just the small fraction of it she'd been sequestered to. She wanted **more**.

Annette stormed into the building, throwing open the heavy wood doors of the south entrance. She strode purposely down the mahogany covered walls, ignoring the various students greeting her as she passed. Her face was tense, her mouth a ridged line, not the usual easy going personality she had on display for the sheep of Manchester. At the moment she didn't care. There was only one thing that concerned her.

She took a sharp turn down the corridor and cut through one of the lunch halls before arriving at the student activities room. Annette had been studiously avoiding it ever since Sebastian told her about the election, as if just being in the general area would somehow tempt her into betraying Kathryn. Maybe this was what she wanted all along, she argued with herself, but she wouldn't let herself want it for fear of pissing off Kathryn. Well it was too late now. She had no choice.

There were a few students milling around the room, none of them paid her any attention as she zeroed in on the sign-up sheet for the student election. There were two names listed: Sabrina Van Holt and Kathryn Merteuil. With no hesitation, Annette grabbed a pen from a nearby desk and scribbled her name down. Stepping away she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Kathryn would be furious of course. Although she tried to play it off, she knew what the position meant to her. Annette didn't begrudge her that, but she also wasn't about to sacrifice her future because Kathryn enjoyed an ego boost. Still, she knew signing her name to that innocuous sheet of paper was the equivalent of firing a shot or starting a war. Kathryn didn't take betrayal lightly and this wouldn't go over well. But she'd understand. She'd have to.

"So, you're going to take on queen Merteuil, huh?"

Annette turned around to find a beautiful leggy African American girl with short cropped hair and insane cheekbones staring her down. Giving her an unimpressed once over she huffed incredulously, "You think _you_ can take her?"

She blinked, caught off guard, before gathering her shit and replying coolly, "I can. _I will_."

The barest hint of a smile crossed her face. "I'm Siobhan."

"Annette Hargrove."

"I know. So, what's up? You need a campaign manager or what?"

* * *

_**911**_

_**Where are you?**_

_**That bitch fucked you over**_

Kathryn scowled at her incoming texts as she departed class. Mrs. Henderson, her economics professor was a notorious Nazi when it came to cell phones, so she was just getting her messages now. Reading them over, her throat tightened in dread. This couldn't be good. Ainsley wasn't the drama queen sort. If she was signaling 911 the shit was about to hit the fan.

Making her way down the crowded hallway, her mind went into overdrive as she tried to figure out what this could be about. Various students greeted her, eager eyes and hopeful smiles coming at her from every direction. Kathryn managed a tight, polite smile.

_Everybody loves me. God, what a pain in the ass. Sometimes I wish…_

Shutting the thought down, she turned her attention back to her phone. She was in the middle of texting Ainsley back when she ran into something. Or rather someone. Kathryn looked up to find it was Ronald Clifford. She had to actively stop herself from rolling her eyes and snarling. "Oh, excuse me Ronald."

Kathryn attempted to brush past him, but he blocked her path. "Hey, we need to talk."

"I'd love to," she said with barely concealed irritation, "But I have someplace to—

"I'm not asking Kathryn."

Something in his tone caught her attention. She knew she could shake him off if she wanted, but her curiosity was now peaked. Ever since school started, she had been going out of her way to avoid her one time hook-up and it seemed they were on the same page with that as he never tried to approach her. She wondered what changed and if this had anything to do with Ainsley's distress call.

"Alright," she replied evenly then nodded toward an abandoned classroom. He followed her inside. Kathryn waited until the door was closed behind him before turning on her little-miss-student body-president-bullshit-routine. "Sorry I haven't been around my Ronald, but you know how it is with the first week of school. I'm totally swamped. How can I help you Ronald?"

"You can start by cutting the bullshit and tell me what the fuck you did to Cecile?"

She blinked, caught off guard by the venom in his tone as much as she was by the accusation. "Excuse me? I haven't done anything to Cecile except try to help her."

"Oh really? Is that why you told her to start sleeping around? That the only way to make me happy was by turning into a slut?"

_Jesus fuck,_ she did not have time for this. She should have known that little nit wit wouldn't keep her mouth shut. Kathryn wondered who else she told.

Jumping into damage control mode, she kept her voice calm as she sauntered up to him, touching his chest. "Ronald, I don't know what Cecile told you, but I think she might be confused."

He eyed her warily. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Oh come on, she's a sweet girl, but even you have to admit she's…a little naive when it comes to things. I'm sure she just misunderstood."

"She told me you're the one who told her to fuck Sebastian and in fact he _blackmailed_ her into it. You know there's a word for that."

"Stupidity?"

He shoved her harshly away. Kathryn stumbled, catching herself on the desk. Annoyed with the line of questioning she shot back, "Nothing happened to Cecile that she didn't want to happen. As evidenced by her new found reputation. Sebastian may have seduced her, but she was a more than willing participant. Look, I'm sorry if Cecile got bored with you but that's not my problem."

"Cecile was a sweet, innocent girl and you and that fucked-up brother of yours corrupted and destroyed that."

"Quit being dramatic," Kathryn spat, smoothing out her hair. "Cecile is _fine_. I'm sorry you don't get to live happily ever after with her on account of her bitch mother but that's life. Get over it. This has nothing to do with me."

She started for the door when he called out, "Yeah I wouldn't be so sure of that. You know, I asked around. You used to date Court Reynolds, didn't you?"

Kathryn paused. "Yes, what of it?"

"He dumped you for Cecile." There was a ghost of a smile on Ronald's lips. "That must have really pissed you off, getting dumped for a lowly sophomore. Your hot shit around this place, you couldn't go after him without it coming back on you, so you went after Cecile. Sweet, innocent, trusting. No one would suspect a thing. You get back at your ex and destroy an innocent girl in the process and no one is the wiser. Is that about right?"

"Well done." Kathryn was genuinely impressed that he figured it out. Frankly, Ronald, despite his obvious scholastic aptitude, didn't seem much more worldly than Cecile. Color her surprised.

"The only part I don't get concerns your brother. That night you told me about him and Cecile, why? You obviously were trying to wind me up. What was the game plan there?"

"He suddenly decided to grow a conscious. Most inconvenient. He needed to be dealt with. You were the cleanest option."

Ronald shook his head. "And did he really hit you?"

She didn't know why, but she was compelled to like in that moment. "_Nobody_ hits me."

"You're a fucking piece of work."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me—

Kathryn turned to leave only for Ronald to tug her back. "You can't honestly think you're just going to walk away from this."

"I don't see why not." She jerked herself out of his grip. "Come on Ronald, you honestly think anyone's going to believe a word you say about me or this fanciful story? Please."

He shrugged as if he was total unbothered. In that moment he reminded her painfully of Sebastian. Which was weird. "I don't know, at the very least it might raise a few eyebrows. Especially if I bring up your twisted relationship with your stepbrother."

Kathryn's fists tighten at her side. "I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing sordid between me and Sebastian."

"Really? So, you think it's normal to invite your brother into your bedroom when you're having sex? See, I guess I'm old fashioned but where I come from that is _seriously fucked up_. Something tells me I won't be in the minority with that one."

"Careful Ronald you're playing out of your league," she warned.

He nodded. "Maybe, but I'm not afraid of you Kathryn."

At that she smiled. Up until this point she had to admit she was intrigued by this new side of Ronald, but not so much so that she planned on indulging it. "You should be. You're new to Manchester Ronald, it wouldn't be wise to go around making slanderous accusations about innocent people."

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. As you said, I'm hot shit around this place." Letting her tone drop to a more threatening level she intoned, "You say one negative word about me and I'll make it my fucking life's work to destroy you. You can kiss Julliard goodbye. Cecile too." Kathryn stepped back and gave him a once over. "I'm guessing you never told her about our _very special afternoon_ together?" His gaze flickered briefly away and he shifted uncomfortably. Kathryn smiled. "That's what I thought. Such a fucking hypocrite. Proclaiming your love for one girl while screwing another. See where I come from, _that's_ seriously fucked up."

"Yeah, they're really not the same thing."

"Maybe not, but it's like this: I'm going to keep your secret and you're going to keep mine. All of them. And if you even think of opening your mouth about any of this to anyone, I'll fucking end you. As for your precious Cecile, you should be thanking me, she got a first class education. Stop whining and enjoy it."

"You're some kind of bitch"

"I'm aware. Do we have a deal?"

She knew he wanted to protest but they both knew he didn't have a leg to stand on. After a long, loaded beat, he gave in. "Fine, under one condition. You stay the hell away from Cecile from now on."

Kathryn snorted. It would hardly be a problem. "Done." Smiling smugly, she headed for the door calling over her shoulder as she exited, "Isn't it nice when everyone gets what they want?"

She didn't stick around to get an answer. Heading out into the hallway, feeling more like her bad bitch self, she strut down the hallway, confident in the knowledge that her world was exactly how it was supposed to be.

It didn't last long.

As she approached her locker, she found Ainsley waiting. Her expression looked more pinched with irritation than normal. "I've been looking for you."

"Yes, I know. I took care of it." She opened her locker and tossed her book inside. "Ronald won't be saying anything."

"Ronald? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Your 911 was about Ronald and Cecile, right?"

She shook her head. "No. It was about—

"Oh my god, Kathryn how are you?" Olivia Price came sailing over, interrupting as usual. Olivia was a moron and a wannabe, but a useful boot licker. She was also incredibly annoying. "I cannot, believe the nerve of that girl. After everything you've done for her."

"What are you talking about?"

Before Olivia could answer, Ainsley spoke up. "It's your new friend Annette."

"What about her?"

"She's running for student body president."

_Mother fucker_

* * *

Sebastian slipped the keycard into the door and hesitated. He glanced down the empty hall of the hotel as if expecting to see someone pop out behind him. They didn't of course.

Honestly, he didn't know why he was being such a pussy about this. What exactly did he think he was going to find on the other side of the door? Squaring his shoulders, he muttered, "Get it together Valmont," as he violently shoved the keycard into the door again and let himself inside.

It was just a room. Well, not just a room. It was one of the better suites in a five-star hotel in Manhattan. On one side of the room was two couch's and a wet bar and on the other a king size bed. Sebastian's gaze traveled over the luxurious furnishings. It was all so mundane. He suddenly felt so silly for avoiding this place for so long.

When Blaine had told him about Kathryn's fuck pad a week ago, he feigned indifference. How would knowing where they fuck help his cause at all? He told himself he wasn't even going to bother to check it out. But then of course it quickly became all he could think about. That morning when he woke up he finally broke. Skipping last period, he drove into the city and headed for the Four Seasons. It had been almost insultingly easy to sweet talk the pretty desk manager into giving up the key.

The plastic key card wasn't the only thing she gave him. She also had some information. Apparently, his sister had been renting the suite (under her father's name) for nearly two years. All this time and he never suspected she was keeping a place on the side. It made him curious what else she was keeping from him.

Strolling around the room he tried to picture Kathryn there. He wondered if she only went there with lovers or if she came sometimes just to be alone. Sebastian of course also kept a suite nearby. Although he considered it a fuck pad, it wasn't its primary vocation. Sometimes he just liked to go there to get away, to enjoy the quiet.

Sebastian looked in the large bedroom closet and found it full of Kathryn's clothes—dresses, suites, heels, even an extra school uniform. There was a lot of lingerie as well and not just the mild, sexy, la perla kind. The bathroom was filled with her toiletries. There was a couple of school books on the desk. It all felt so lived in. It felt as if he was seeing another part of her.

There was another closet in the bathroom and in it was a large trunk. Sebastian threw it open expecting to find more towels or something. Instead he found a treasure trove of debauchery. "Jesus Christ," he breathed as he drank it all in. There were various dildos in a variety of colors and sizes along with different types of vibrators. There were two different strap-on's, handcuffs, butt plugs lotions, paddles, nipple clamps and more. There was stuff in that trunk Sebastian had never even seen before.

Ever since discovering that Kathryn and Annette were a thing, Sebastian had spent a considerable amount of time trying _not_ to picture them in bed together. Despite the fact that he wanted each of them desperately at one time or another, the idea of them _together_ made him furious. All it did was remind him of his humiliation and their betrayal all over again. He refused to be turned on by it as well.

Slamming the truck shut with a decisive thud, he left the bathroom and plopped down on the bed. Running his hand over the satin duvet his mind suddenly flashed to an image of the girls making out: skirts rucked up, make-up fucked off, hands probing, tits touching, hips grinding—

_Stop it_, he ordered himself. Glancing down at his crotch he ordered, "Don't even think about it."

Pushing off the bed, Sebastian distracted himself by glancing around at anywhere but the bed. He wondered if he could put a camera in here. Just imagine if that footage got out of his sweet wholesome sister 69ing the virginal headmaster's daughter. Could be quite the eye opener.

Before he could give the matter any more thought, Sebastian heard someone on the other side of the door. He froze for a second, torn before fleeing and standing his ground. He imagined the shocked look on his stepsister's face when she found him there. He also imagined her hurling a vase at his head and calling security. Making a split-second decision, Sebastian ducked into her walk-in closet, making sure the light was off and the door slightly ajar.

The hotel door opened seconds later, and Kathryn entered with Annette trailing behind. They were both still dressed in their Manchester uniforms. Almost immediately Sebastian picked up on the obvious tension between them. Through the crack he watched Kathryn head to the bar. The room echoed with the sound of ice clinking loudly against the glass, almost as it was being thrown. Even without seeing his stepsister's face he knew she was pissed. _Interesting_.

Annette came briefly into view as she sunk down onto the bed, tossing her bag carelessly away. She stared at his sister for a long moment. When she finally spoke, he nearly jumped in surprise. "Okay let's hear it," Annette sighed sounding tired. "We both know you don't do the silent treatment. That vain in your temple has been throbbing the whole way here."

"It's not funny," Kathryn finally spoke, her voice sounding close to on edge. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to find out you're running against me for _my job_ from one of my boot lickers?" Kathryn began to pace. "They want to know why the girl I'm introducing as my dearest friend is stabbing me in the back?"

"They sound a little dramatic," Annette observed dryly. "And in desperate need of a hobby."

"You betrayed me!" Kathryn exploded. "You promised you wouldn't run for student body president and you turn around and sign up for it a week later!"

So, the bitch had signed up after all, Sebastian thought gleefully to himself. There was no way his twisted sister would allow her to get away with such a betrayal and walk away. He realized then he was going to get a front seat for what was sure to be an epic brawl that would surely lead to the end of their fucked up little union.

"I told you, I need the scholarship money. Unlike you I don't have rich parents to foot the bill and even if I did, my asshole father refuses to give me one cent unless I go back to Kansas so he and my grandmother can hold me hostage. This scholarship is the only way I can go to Yale and get the hell away from him."

She made what Sebastian thought was a logical argument, but of course Kathryn didn't do logic. "There are other scholarship's," she snapped. "Hell, I'll give you the money."

"I've applied for other scholarships, but my father has been going out of his way to make sure I don't get them. He's diabolical. This one he can't touch, not without having to publicly explain why he's refusing to give it to me. It's my only chance Kathryn. And as for what I'm assuming is a joke…come on, I won't let you buy me a bag, you think I'm going to let you finance my four year education to an ivy league school?"

"You will if you ever want to fuck me again."

He shifted quietly from his cramped position, trying to find a better angle on his stepsister. She had stopped pacing. Her face was pinched in righteous fury, it was a look he was all too familiar with.

"Don't flatter yourself princess," Annette quipped, "You're not _that_ good in bed."

Sebastian stifled a laugh. Hargrove had balls, he'd give her that.

"Funny that's not what you said last night. What was it you said about _seeing the face of god_ after I made you cum?"

"Clearly I was delirious. Look Kathryn, I admit it, I fucked up. I should have told you I entered the race, but it doesn't change anything. I'm running—and I'm going to win."

"The hell you are," she hissed. "You aren't the only one who needs this."

"Why do you need it? For your reputation? For the ego boost? For—

"You're not the only one with a shitty, domineering parent," Kathryn interjected. "You have no idea of the expectations I have to deal with."

Sebastian pictured his beautiful, cold, stepmother and her infamous sneer that was usually directed at her only child. If there was one genuine chink in Kathryn's armor it was his stepmonster Tiffany. When he thought about how the cruel woman was liable to react if she found out her daughter lost her prestigious position, he felt a pang of sympathy towards her. Just as quickly as it appeared, he tried to snuff it out.

Annette turned as Kathryn brushed past her and Sebastian could see her expression. There was a flash of curiosity in her blue eyes that told him Kathryn hadn't exactly been forth coming about her relationship with her mother. She looked as if she wanted to pry for answers, but his coke head sister was already jumping to a new tangent.

"God, I can't believe you let Sebastian get to you like this," Kathryn huffed, strutting towards the closet. Sebastian immediately retreated back, holding tight against the wall.

"Excuse me? I haven't let him do anything to me, unlike you who can't seem to keep your mouth, not to mention your legs, closed around him."

His brow cocked at the accusation

"Jesus Christ, for the fortieth god damn time, I've never fucked him."

"No, but you want to."

Well now that was interesting, he thought unable to suppress a smirk. Sebastian leaned in closer trying to hear better. Unfortunately, Kathryn shut the subject down all together.

"I'm done talking about this. Either drop out of the fucking race or we're done. I mean it. One way or another I'm keeping my position and if I have to destroy you to do it, so be it. So, what's it going to be _farm girl_? Your scholarship or me?"

Sebastian expected Annette would get incensed at the ultimatum and storm out or even possibly cave under Kathryn's demands like everyone else did. As usual he sorely underestimated her.

She didn't yell. She didn't cave. She _laughed_.

"You are so fucking ridiculous sometimes I can't stand it," she told her through her laughter. "You sound like some kind of villain in a teen movie."

"Fuck off," Kathryn huffed lamely.

Sebastian watched as Annette moved closer to his stepsister, her expression mocking, but with clear lust in her eyes. "It's kind of hot actually. Do you honestly think you can just dismiss me like I'm one of your stupid toys, like I'm _him_."

He sneered at the obvious implication, suddenly hoping Kathryn tossed her out on her pretty blond ass.

"Of course I can," Kathryn told her with her typical haughty tone. "Now get the fuck out."

"Or you'll what, call security on me?" She edged closer to Kathryn, her expression morphing from playful to predatory. Sebastian had never seen that look on her face before, it was kind of hot. He realized then he needed to get the fuck out of that closet.

"Leave," his stepsister ordered. The bite had gone out of her tone. Sebastian wasn't sure where this was going to go until Annette abruptly grabbed her by the waist and hauled Kathryn against her. She let out a surprised huff that Sebastian found himself mirroring. The girls might have caught it had they not been so entranced with one another.

"Go ahead, kick me out," Annette murmured, her mouth hovering over his sisters. "I _dare_ you to."

Before she could reply, Hargrove launched her mouth against her, grabbing her forcefully by the head she kissed her quiet. Kathryn, squirmed in her grip, her hand coming out to scratch at her face. Kathryn jerked out of her grip. "I swear to god if you—

Annette shut her up with another kiss. Kathryn pushed against her giving what was obviously a half-hearted effort to fight her off. In a flash the hand that had been pushing her away was soon wrapped around her backside, pulling her closer as her mouth began to work eagerly against Annette's.

Sebastian watched transfixed as they collapsed onto the bed. With his limited view he couldn't see much. It was all frantic movements as they grasped and clawed at one another. Gently, he eased the door open a little more and then stopped. What was he doing? He didn't want to see this, after all wasn't this the exact picture he had been trying to avoid ever since he found out about this unholy union? Sebastian leaned against the wall, defiantly not watching. He stared into space, thinking about the European history paper he had due on Tuesday and the Hemmingway novel he was in the middle of. He counted backwards in French. Try as he might, he couldn't tune them out.

They weren't quiet. Like at all. His sister was all breathy, high pitched moans. He had never heard her make those sounds before. They weren't the typical theatrical cries he heard from the other side of her bedroom doors. Annette too sounded far different than she had during their infamous night together. Her voice was deeper, rougher as she demanded, "Do you want me to stop?"

"Shut the fuck up," Kathryn sighed, her voice suddenly crying out sharply.

Sebastian shook his head, telling himself not to do it, it would only bring him misery. _Don't do it idiot_.

"Fuck it," he whispered under his breath, his willpower shot to shit. He looked hungrily through the crack in the door just in time to see Annette slide down onto her knees and attack his sisters cunt. That was the only word for it. _Attack_.

From his limited view he could tell their matting was violent, passionate, intense. Kathryn was still fully dressed, but her shirt was rucked up and her bra was ripped down as Annette clutched his stepsister's breast, the plump flesh squeezing out between her greedy fingers. Kathryn arched against her, head thrown back, eye closed, mouth open in a silent cry while her hips jerked violently against the blonde between her legs. Her tartan skirt obstructed Sebastian's view of Annette's face. But he could hear her, the wet sloppy sounds as she ate his sister out hard. Seconds later Kathryn bucked sharply and then cried out in orgasm. Sebastian shifted, trying to get a better look at her face, but she turned away from him. It didn't matter, she'd come again. Annette didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon.

No porno he had ever witnessed had been this hot—and Sebastian had seen a lot in his day. It was visceral and real. His cock was already hard and leaking.

Kathryn, reached blindly for the headmaster's daughter, grasping a handful of her blond locks and tugging tight. Annette didn't let up. "Yes," Kathryn panted, her hips grinding lewdly against her face, "Fuck, yes…ah…oh god…"

When she came again Sebastian thought he was in danger of following suit. The petite brunette jerked wildly against her lover, crying out as if in pain. Her orgasm seemed to stretch on for minutes before she finally stopped shaking. She turned her head at last in Sebastian's direction and what he saw genuinely shocked him. It was a tear, rolling out of the side of her eye. In all his vast experience Sebastian had never made a girl come so hard she cried.

As Kathryn panted and trembled in aftershocks, Annette didn't let up. But Kathryn had enough, she pushed at her shoulders, "Stop, enough." She attempted to wiggle away but Annette held firm until his stepsister begged, "Please, stop…too much…"

Annette pulled back, her head appearing from where it was buried underneath her skirt. Even from a distance Sebastian could see the flush on her cheek and his sister's juices smeared across her face. Kathryn's hand reached down and swiped at her mouth. Annette sucked her finger into her mouth and grinned.

"You can leave now," Kathryn told her flatly.

Hargrove scowled then let out a short laugh. "I don't think so."

Sebastian watched Annette get to her feet on her wobbly knees, then crawl on top of his sister. She pulled off her sweater, then slowly unbutton her white top. Kathryn's gaze seemed to drink her in as her fingers traced over her stomach. "Alright," she murmured, her tone deeper than normal, "You can sit on my face. Then you leave."

Annette shook her head and smiled. "I'm not in the mood for that."

"What do you want?" Kathryn sat up on her elbows and tugged the cup of Annette's bra down, exposing her puckered nipple. She teased it with the pad of her thumb.

"I want you…on your hand's and knees…taking my cock…"

Her gaze seemed to darken at her words. Sebastian expected her to tell her to fuck off. Instead she replied, seemingly indifferent, "Fine."

Sebastian momentarily panicked when Annette abruptly jumped off the bed and headed towards the closet. Luckily, she disappeared into the bathroom. He let out a quiet exhale, trying to get himself together as he watched his stepsister lay back in the bed. As she scrolled through her phone, her other hand found its way between her legs. Sebastian watched entranced as she casually fingered herself. After a minute or so of this she removed her hand and she sucked her fingers clean, tasting herself. Sebastian's cock jerked at the gesture.

Before he could wrap his head around this she abruptly got up and began to undress. Watching her so nonchalantly remove her bra and shimmy out of her skirt made it hotter somehow—the lack of pretense in it. Sebastian gaped as piece by piece she was revealed to him. This was another first. He'd never seen her naked before. He's had brief glimpses before—a flash of side tit when he walked in on her dressing, her bare thighs at the beach, her ass when he attacked her that afternoon, but this was decidedly different. It should have been mundane, all the chicks he'd seen naked before it should be nothing. Instead it was everything.

Sebastian unconsciously shifted to get a better look and his feet squeaked slightly on the wood floor. Kathryn's head swiveled in the direction of the closet. Sebastian stilled.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

His stepsister's gaze narrowed as she stared at the partially open closet. Sebastian meanwhile prayed to whatever deity that listened to assholes like him. _Please, please don't let her open that door_. It would be bad enough trying to explain his presence, but it would be beyond humiliating for her to find him with a giant boner.

Ironically, it was Annette who saved him when a second later the bathroom door opened distracting Kathryn. And who could blame her? Annette emerged, naked except for a very large, black dildo attached to her waist. "Fuck," Sebastian mouthed as he drank her in. She was certainly something. He'd seen her naked of course, their one night together had burned into his memory along with the supple curves of her body. However, this wasn't the same girl he fucked that night, not even close.

Swaggering up to Kathryn she tugged her by the waist, pulling her in. Annette kissed her briefly then murmured something Sebastian couldn't hear. It made Kathryn laugh. "I should be the one wearing this," she whined, tugging at the fake dick. "You don't deserve it."

Annette's brow cocked and she regarded her with a sardonic grin. "And if we all got what we deserved, where do you think that would leave you, hmm?" She kissed her again. "You can fuck me with it afterwards if you like."

"There's not going to be an afterwards," Kathryn told her haughtily. "You're going to fuck me until I cum then you're going to leave."

"Am I?" Abruptly Annette shoved his stepsister to her knees. "Suck it," the blonde ordered. "You can pretend it's _your brother_ if you like."

"Maybe I will"

Sebastian's brows shoot up at that. Before he could ponder any of this too carefully, he became engrossed with the image of Kathryn on her knees. Unfortunately, her back was to him, thus depriving him of an image he had long fantasized over. Sebastian wanted to see her lips gaping around the toy as she fileted it, he wanted to see the look in her eyes. Instead he'd have to rely on his imagination, fueled by the aggressive way her head jerked on the plastic toy and the vulgar sounds of her sucking and gagging that filled the suite.

"Oh Sebastian," Kathryn gasped, pulling off the fake cock. "You're so fucking big."

_Jesus fucking Christ._

Annette scowled. "You think you're cute?"

"You're the one who wanted to roll play. I'll let you fuck me in the ass and call me sis if you'd like." Kathryn laughed, licking up the length.

"Enough," Annette barked, jerking it out of her mouth. "Get your ass on the bed."

Kathryn obediently climbed onto the mattress, positioning herself on all fours, as promised. She was unknowingly facing him head on. Annette came up behind her, playing with her pussy a moment before abruptly pushing the toy inside her. Kathryn heaved forward, a guttural moan escapes her throat. From his angle Sebastian couldn't see the plastic toy enter her, but he could hear it, plunging in and out of her sloppy cunt. Annette didn't mess around, she fucked hard and fast, one hand gripping his stepsister tightly by the waist, while the other slid up her back to grasp her shoulder. Her pretty heart shaped face was pinched in determination, kind of like how she looked when she played tennis Sebastian mused. He wondered if that strap on she was sporting had a vibrating mechanism before deciding it probably didn't. Something told him the act itself got her off just fine.

Sebastian tore his attention away from the headmaster's daughter and concentrated on Kathryn. He had to admit she was beautiful like this, eyes half closed, mouth slack, panting and whining as she got pounded. "More," she gasped out. "I want more."

Annette laughed, her hips snapping sharp against his stepsister's upturned ass. "Of course you do," she replied, voice more raspy than normal. "Greedy little slut." She slapped her ass hard. Sebastian jumped.

Abruptly, Annette grabbed a handful of Kathryn's hair and hauled her upwards, so she was flush against her. She fucked her even harder, while her free hand mauled Kathryn's bouncing tits. She gave a sharp tug on one the nipples causing the brunette to whine, her head coming to rest on her shoulder. Annette kissed her, all tongue. Kathryn reached around and grabbed her head, deepening the kiss. She then murmured something Sebastian couldn't quite hear and Annette replied softly, "Me too."

Her hand made its way down to her waxed pussy, where her fingers began to rapidly rub her clit. Kathryn cried out, bucking against her. Perspiration began to trickle down her face, her normally perfectly coiffed hair, was sticking to her temples, her make-up completely fucked off. Sebastian thought she never looked sexier.

What happened next was a blur of motion, he had trouble keeping up with as they kept jerking around. Annette was slamming her hard and Kathryn's knees seemed to buckle under her as she crumbled to the bed. The little blonde continued to pound into her, bending over her as she did. When she came, Sebastian was once again deprived of seeing her face as she buried it in the duvet, but he watched her body tremble in pleasure and listened as she practically tore the paint off the walls with the force of her orgasm.

At that point Sebastian's pants were so tight he was in danger of embarrassing himself. For a brief second he contemplated jerking off, after all they were far to involved with each other to notice him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Even he wasn't that pathetic.

He watched as the girls recovered. Annette collapsed atop Kathryn and they laid there in silence for a long beat. He would have thought Kathryn had passed out but then she suddenly wiggled out from under Annette, dislodging the toy as she did. He waited, expecting her to kick Hargrove out as promised. Instead, she grabbed at the harness around her lovers waist, tugging it off impatiently and then buried her face between the blonde's legs. Sebastian listened as Kathryn ate her out and Annette moaned in appreciation. She came quickly, arching and grinding against her face. When Kathryn pulled back her lips were coated with Annette's cream. She leaned in and kissed her wantonly.

They laid there leisurely making out, murmuring things to one another Sebastian could barely hear. If he didn't know better he would suspect they knew he was listening. Annette stretched out across the mattress and Kathryn laid beside her, toying with her plump breasts while her other hand worked between her legs. Hargrove had a lazy, sexy smile on her face. "More," she told her, laughter in her eyes.

"Two more?" It took Sebastian a moment to realize she was talking about fingers.

Annette shook her head. "The whole thing."

His own eyes widened at this, but Kathryn merely nodded before getting up and removing something from the bedside table. It was a bottle of his favorite lube. "Not that you really need this," Kathryn told her smugly as she emptied out some on her hand, "But better safe than sorry."

Unfortunately, Sebastian couldn't see much, they were faced away from him and mostly lost in the bed covers, but he could see Kathryn's hand working between her legs and he could see the heady look of lust on Annette's face.

"You want the vibe?" Kathryn asked.

"No…just put your fingers…yeah…shitfuckshit…"

"A-almost there…just the thumb…"

Truth be told he was a little frustrated he couldn't see this as his imagination was now in overdrive. Sebastian had only ever fisted someone once before, and she was much older and experienced. He was dying of curiosity.

"Oh god…oh god…" Annette moaned, back taunt as a bowstring as she arched against the mattress, her eyes squeezed shut, "Holy shit.

Kathryn's arm barely seemed to be moving but clearly she was doing something. "Does it feel good?"

"It's so fucking intense."

"I can feel you squeezing my fist—it's so fucking odd. This doesn't hurt?"

"It's a good kind of hurt. Mmm, baby rub me…lick it…yeah right there…

Amusement colored his stepsister's face as she emerged from between Annette's legs, kissing her briefly. "Perhaps this is the right time to revisit our earlier discussion…about you dropping out of the race."

Annette let out a low chuckle. "You are such an asshole. We are not having that conversation when your _hand_ is in my vagina."

Kathryn seemed to pout, but let it go. Sebastian watched as she moved her arm a little more vigorously and Annette began to shout. It was so loud at first, he thought she was in pain. But then the breathy undercurrent of pleasure was unmistakable. With a shaky hand she clutched Kathryn by the face and pulled her close. Their foreheads pressed together as Annette shuddered in orgasm.

Afterwards, as they laid on the bed, wrapped up in one another Sebastian realized he was watching two people in love. This is what it looked like, this is what he thought he had with Annette but now, watching them he realized how wrong he was. In that moment he never felt more alone.

"Are you okay?" Kathryn asked, a warm smile tugging at her lips.

"Uh yeah," Annette sighed shifting against her. "Just give me a minute. You want to try it next?"

"No," she replied quickly.

She laughed. "Afraid I'll stretch it out? That's just a myth. I've done it before and your idiot brother still thought I was a virgin."

Sebastian sneered at the remark. Kathryn shook her head. "I just don't have any interest. Like you with and anal."

"Yeah, because _that_ shit fucking hurts."

"Not if you do it right." She leaned in and kissed her. Clearly this had been a previous bone of contention. Annette just shook her head as they made out. Sebastian sighed, wishing they'd either pass out or go take a shower. He was still hard and in an immense amount of discomfort.

Kathryn broke away and rolled over to retrieve a cigarette from the bedside table. As she lit up Annette watched her and asked, "You still pissed?"

She shrugged. "I suppose not." Taking a drag she handed the cigarette off and remarked flippantly, "Besides it's not like you're going to win or anything."

Annette rolled her eyes and shook her head, then reached over and pinched her side. Kathryn squealed and pinched her back. They began to play wrestle, laughing and shrieking. Watching them Sebastian once again felt his resentment bubble to the surface.

"So, I didn't get to tell you my news," Annette remarked as they settled down.

"Oh? There's more?"

"My father is going to be gone all weekend. He and his asshole church friends are in DC this weekend trying to get some pro-life measure passed—

"A fine waste of everyone's time and resources," Kathryn huffed. "So, wait, does that mean I get you all to myself all weekend? How did you swing that?"

Annette chuckled. "We can thank our favorite closeted quarterback. Daddy thinks I'm helping him study world history. Greg even promised to make sure I went to church on Sunday."

"Such a good little girl," Kathryn cooed sarcastically. "Positively diabolical. Mmm, so what shall we do with ourselves?"

The blonde smirked suggestively as she leaned in and kissed her. "I can think of a couple hundred things."

They kissed lazily a moment and then Kathryn broke away. "Blaine's having his annual back to school orgy. Could be fun." She flicked her tongue teasingly against her lips (her signature move) then nipped at her shoulder. "All that wet and willing flesh on display."

"A high school party?" Annette asked far from impressed.

"It's the _Pantheon_ of high school parties," Kathryn argued. "Trust me it's not to be missed."

"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of having you all to myself for a weekend." Annette kissed across her collar bones and flicked her tongue over her jaw. He realized then that she was just as adept at seduction as his sister was.

Sebastian knew the party was one of Kathryn's favorite events of the year. There was no way she'd miss it, but she was full of surprises that afternoon. "That could be fun too." Cupping the back of Hargroves head she kissed her long and deep. It occurred to him then that she didn't even sound upset. Normally she'd be pitching a fit that she didn't get her way but here she was almost accommodating.

_God, she really was in love_, he thought disgustedly.

Pulling back from Annette she started off the bed. "I need a shower. Then maybe a long bath. I'm all sore."

"You're sore?" Hargrove echoed incredulously as she followed after her. "Try having a whole hand up your pussy."

Kathryn laughed, her voice echoing off the marble. "You're the one who asked for it."

They closed the door behind them and Sebastian realized this was his chance. His limbs were stiff from standing in the same position for over an hour. And that wasn't the only thing. He winced as he quietly exited the closet, his hardon making it difficult to walk but he managed to get out without being detected. As soon as he was far enough the hall not to be heard he pulled out his phone and quickly scrolled through his contacts before settling on one of his favorite booty calls.

"What's up asshole?" Gretchen Peterson was a girl of little bullshit and even less morals.

"Meet me at my place at the Grand Hyatt," he ordered, punching elevator buttons.

"I can't" she sighed. "I have cheerleading practice."

"Skip it," Sebastian ordered as he stepped into the elevator. "I'm in the mood to tear something apart."

* * *

"Someone's feeling aggressive today," Gretchen laughed as he shoved her onto the bed. She immediately chucked off her black and white cheerleading sweater and removed her bra exposing her double D titties. Gazing at them impassively, Sebastian removed his own jacket and joined her on the bed.

Just as instructed Gretchen had met him at his suite, bitching the whole time about how she couldn't miss another practice or she'd get kicked off the squad. After a shot of Jim Bean and a snort of coke however, her mood had shifted considerably. She was practically humping his leg off.

They made out hard, with Sebastian aggressively squeezing and nipping at her overflowing breasts while she shoved a hand into his pants. She jerked him off, but it seemed to have no effect. Odd. His earlier hardon had softened on the way over to the Grand Hyatt, but he hadn't thought anything of it. He still felt energized and horny, images from his sister and Annette's fuck fest running rampant through his mind, so he knew he was up for this. In a manner of speaking.

"What's up?" Gretchen asked, looking vaguely annoyed. Then again that was pretty much her only expression.

"It's nothing," he told her, pulling her back. "Just give me a minute."

He suckled her tits while she continued to try to pump his cock but it wasn't happening. Sebastian started to get scared, but he kept his cool. Gretchen however wasn't having it.

"What the fuck Valmont?" she whined removing her hand. "You're the one who called me. If you weren't in to it why'd you drag my ass all the way over here?"

"Shut up Gretchen, you talk too much," he sneered. "I think I have a solution for that." Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he forced her head down on his crotch. Most girls wouldn't stand for such a thing, but Gretchen wasn't most girls. She obediently took his softened dick into his mouth and tried to suck it to fullness. Leaning back against the bed, Sebastian attempted to concentrate. He tried to think of any matter of thing to get him off. Then he went to his go to fantasy. He pictured his stepsister in Gretchen's place. To be honest, his attraction to Gretchen was always based on the fact that she reminded him of Kathryn—if Kathryn was a stripper from Reno.

It didn't work.

After a solid minute the cheerleader pulled away. "Well," she remarked sounding almost amused. "This is certainly a first."

Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. No, no fucking way. This couldn't be happening. It was bad enough those bitches took his pride and his dignity, but to take his hard on, that was crossing a line.

"This is fucking war."


	10. The Valmont's

**Chapter 9: The Valmont's**

* * *

Kathryn realized right away that she wasn't alone in her bed. Eyes shut, face half buried in her pillow, she could feel Annette, warm and naked wrapped around her. With the headmaster out of town she had been free to spend the night. That however didn't explain the other person in her bed.

She should probably have been more alarmed than she was. Blame it on her lack of sleep the night before. Whomever it was making themselves comfortable next to her, was male. She could smell his cologne. Tom Ford Tobacco Oud. Only one asshole she knew wore it.

"Fucking hell," she groaned as she opened her eyes and found Sebastian lounging beside her. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, tie loose on his neck, his reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. As always, he looked exceedingly smug.

"Morning!" he greeted her brightly.

Sitting up, careful to keep the sheet covering her in place as she was in no mood to give him a show, Kathryn demanded, "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Becca, down at the front desk was most accommodating. I explained you forgot to take your pills this morning and how important it was that I get them to you. Naturally, having dealt with you, she understood the need for you to be medicated."

"Well she's fucking fired." Kathryn ran an irritable hand through her mussed hair. Over the years she had taken great pains to ensure Sebastian never discovered her hideaway. She even had it rented under her father's name. How the hell had he uncovered it?

Before she could inquire, Annette began to stir beside her. "What the hell?" she grumbled, half awake, face still burrowed in Kathryn's shoulder. "Go away Valmont."

"Make me bitch."

Ignoring them Kathryn asked, "How did you find me?"

"A mutual acquaintance might have mentioned it."

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Blaine. Fucking figures."

"Yes, those damn drug dealers. So untrustworthy," Sebastian tsked. "This is a nice place you have. Of course _mine_ is bigger."

"It's almost as if you're trying to overcompensate for something," Annette quipped, still buried in the covers.

"Suck my dick Hargrove," came Sebastian's pithy reply.

The blonde popped up over Kathryn's shoulder. "If only I could find it."

He crudely grabbed himself. "It's right here, anytime your interested sweetheart."

"Thanks, but I'd rather set myself on fire."

"Enough!" Kathryn grumbled, growing increasingly annoyed by the sexual innuendo between them. "Jesus, I'd suggest you two just fuck already, but oh wait, you already have."

Annette rolled her eyes before flopping back into her pillow. "Don't remind me."

"What is it you want Sebastian? I take it you didn't track us down on a Saturday morning just to trade insults."

Sebastian sighed as he fiddled with the end of his tie. "The parental units are home. They're requesting you put in an appearance." Giving her a pointed looked he added, "Your mother was rather insistent I come fetch you."

"Wonderful," Kathryn grumbled. Her mother was a pain in the ass on a good day, but she imagined after not seeing her for nearly three months she would likely be a raving bitch. It didn't help matters that, aside from the occasional phone call, Kathryn had basically been blowing her off all summer. She could just imagine what she was in for. Endless hours of lectures and criticism no doubt. She really wasn't looking forward to it.

Heaving a sigh, Kathryn searched for her cross on the bedside table, ignoring the curious stares from Sebastian and Annette. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she caught them sharing a look, but maybe she imagined it. "It's a little early isn't it?" Annette asked.

Kathryn pretended she didn't hear her. When she finally located the necklace, she found it empty. Scowling she tossed it into the drawer and scooped up her gold cigarette case instead. Popping one between her teeth, she lit it and eyed her stepbrother curiously. "How were they?"

"Fantastic," he drawled. "The Bali maid is knocked up, so now your harpy bitch mother suspects my father is at fault. She's demanding a paternity test."

Kathryn smiled warily. "As if that odious letch could produce enough sperm to create another heir."

Sebastian leaned over and removed the cigarette from between her lips. Taking a drag he told her, "The gold digging bitch is just looking for any excuse to bleed him dry. I wouldn't have put it past her to set him up with that maid in the first place."

"That does rather sound like Mother's MO," she mused.

"Like mother like daughter"

Narrowing her gaze at him she spat back, tone hard, "And he's stupid enough to fall for it. Like father like son."

Sebastian sneered at her but continued, "Even if it's true she'll never divorce him. There's no way she'd give up being a Valmont not to mention she'd risk having her own indiscretions brought up in court." Sebastian walked two fingers up Kathryn's leg, but she pretended not to notice. "I'm sure Tony the masseur would have quite a few tales to tell given the right compensation."

"You have a point. I'm sure she'd rather not have her spanking fetish brought up in public."

"Like mother like daughter?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Ugh!" Annette exclaimed getting up abruptly from the bed. "Jesus Christ, just fuck and get it over with. It's too early in the morning for this shit." Naked and completely unbothered, she flounced around the room searching for something to throw on.

Kathryn looked over at her stepbrother only to find him eyeing the blonde with blatant interest as she slipped a shirt over her head. Kathryn scowled. When his gaze shifted back on her he grinned. "She certainly is something isn't she?"

Sneering she literally kicked him out of the bed. _Idiot_. He landed with a thud on the floor and grumbled, "Bitch."

Sebastian got to his feet, looking decidedly less smug as he fixed his tie. "What would you like me to tell them?"

"Explain I'll be along shortly and…" She glanced over at Annette and smiled. "Tell them I'll be bringing a guest to dinner."

Annette let out a short laugh. "No way."

"Oh, come on." Kathryn crawled to the edge of the bed, still making sure to keep the sheet wrapped around her. Tugging Annette close she purred, "Don't make me go by myself." She flicked her tongue teasingly against her mouth. "If you come, we can have another sleepover and I'll let you…_do things to me_." As she said the last part her gaze briefly shifted towards Sebastian who was watching them silently with no expression. _Hmm_.

After a moment Annette finally gave in. "Alright, fine I'll come." Glancing back at her stepbrother she added, "But only because I know Sebastian doesn't want me there."

He smiled sarcastically back at her. "Well this should make for an interesting evening." Strolling to the door he turned back and leveled a taunting look over his shoulder. "I wonder what my dear step monster will think of _you_."

* * *

"It's so lovely to meet you Angela."

Annette smiled pleasantly as the older woman butchered her name. For the second time in less than ten minutes. She was beginning to suspect it was on purpose.

"It's _Annette_," Kathryn primly corrected her mother.

"Oh? I'm so sorry," she cooed through a tight smile. "It's this terrible jet lag. It's making me lightheaded."

_I'm sure that fourth martini isn't helping any,_ Annette thought snidely to herself while her smile remained unwavering. "It's fine. Happens all the time."

"Sure it does," Sebastian pipped in from his spot at the bar. Their eyes met briefly, and he toasted her, grin as smug as ever.

It said something about her mental state at that moment that it barely registered with her. Annette was by and large a confident person, not easily rattled. She also wasn't intimidated by much, but for whatever reason meeting Kathryn parents, well specifically her mother (she didn't talk about her biological father and Annette didn't want to press) had her terrified. So much so that she let Kathryn dress her up in one of her beautiful, but no doubt ridiculously expensive dresses. It was black silk, sophisticated and sexy but not inappropriate. She even let her do her hair and make-up. While she looked good, she was deeply uncomfortable and felt as if she was walking around with a sign that proclaimed: _she did not belong_.

As for Tiffani Merteuil Valmont, she was every bit as terrifying as Annette imagined. Impossibly beautiful, she shared the same delicate features as her daughter as well as the same rich chestnut colored hair. But while Kathryn was petite, Tiffany was statuesque with strong shoulders and intimidating posture. Her smile was tight and razor sharp and there was something cruel about her eyes, like a wicked queen in a fairy tale.

It was clear the pretense of pleasantness she put on was as phony as her marriage. She seemed to barely tolerate anyone in her presence, especially her husband.

"Annette can I fill that up for you?" Edward Valmont asked, already removing the half empty glass of vodka tonic from her hand.

"Thank you," she replied. Annette didn't think she'd ever get used to adults so casually doling out liquor to seventeen-year olds. "That's very kind of you Mr. Valmont."

"Please call me Edward."

Annette had to admit, Edward was far more handsome that she was expecting. He looked nothing like his son, save for the same roguish grin and the same build. He had thick dark hair and eyes, that seemed to be constantly amused by something. He was very charming she decided, but clearly a leech. His gaze seemed to never leave her tits, which thanks to Kathryn were now tastefully on display.

Her husband's roving eye didn't seem to go unnoticed by his wife who was now eyeing Annette speculatively like she suspected she was making a play for her husband. _As if lady_.

"Darling," she called to her husband with fake sweetness. "Can you go check with Clarice on the wine she's serving? And if you could, please keep your hands off her ass. We have company."

"Sure thing sweetheart," he called handing Annette back her drink with one last lingering look.

_WTF?_

Annette glanced over at Kathryn who looked completely unbothered by the exchange. Apparently, this was business as usual. This explained a few things.

"Well let's head into dinner, shall we?"

She watched as Tiffany walked beside her daughter into the formal dinning room and she muttered something to her that made Kathryn's back stiffen. Annette frowned.

Pulling her from her thoughts, Sebastian called out, "Are you coming _Angela_?"

Annette glared at him, then wiggling her tongue between her two fingers. It was crude, but it was worth it for the momentarily stupefied look on Valmont's face. _Eat shit asshole_.

They joined the other's in the long, ornate dinning room. The Valmont's sat at either end of the long table while Annette took a seat beside Kathryn and Sebastian sat across from them. As a servant came around to serve the first course, Kathryn announced, "Mother, I don't believe I mentioned it earlier, but Annette's father is the new headmaster at Manchester."

"Is that so?" The older woman looked over at her with a new found interest. "Helen speaks very highly of him. He was headmaster at Oakwood for a time is that correct?"

"Yes, for about a year," Annette replied, referring to her former boarding school in England. "It's a beautiful campus and he loved teaching there but unfortunately my grandmother got sick and he wanted to be with her."

Tiffany opened her mouth to reply when Sebastian pipped in, "The Hargrove's are from _Kansas_. Isn't that fascinating? A little bit of the mid-west right here in our dining room."

His stepmother seemed to literally cringe at the idea. Smiling tightly, she replied. "How…interesting."

Annette shot Sebastian a look, but he just grinned into his fois gras. _Shithead_. She looked over at Kathryn to find her pinning her stepbrother with a withering, murderous stare.

The room fell into an awkward quiet for a beat before Edward, sounding far more jovial than the mood called for turned to his son, "So Sebastian, tell us about this girl you've been seeing. I about fell on the floor when you said you wanted to introduce her to us."

Annette had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking as she watched Sebastian's face fall and he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes, Sebastian," Kathryn pipped in, her voice infused with false sweetness, "Tell us about her. Who is this mystery girl who brought the great and mighty Sebastian Valmont to his knees?"

Glaring at the two of them he explained coldly, "We broke up."

"What? Already?" his father asked.

"That's too bad," Kathryn cooed.

Sebastian smiled in a way that didn't reach his eyes as he stared across the table at Annette. He looked like a serial killer right before he shoved the knife in you. "Yes. Turns out she was awful in bed. A real cold fish. Not worth the effort."

Annette merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow while Edward shook his head in dismay as if it indeed was some kind of tragedy. "Tough break son."

"This is not appropriate dinner conversation Sebastian," Tiffany told him pointedly. "We have a guest, remember?"

"Ah yes," he replied turning back to them. "Speaking of which, Kathryn! I hear you're seeing someone rather unexpected." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Annette. Kathryn nearly choked on her wine.

"You're seeing someone?" Tiffany asked alarmed. "What happened to Court?"

"We broke up," she told her not looking up from her food.

"You broke up? How the hell did—"

"Why don't you take it down a notch dear," Edward advised. "This is hardly—"

"Stay out of it," she hissed at her husband before turning her attention back on her daughter, "What exactly happened?"

Kathryn opened her mouth to reply but Sebastian quickly spoke up. "Oh, he dumped her for Cecile Caldwell. Tragic"

Kathryn looked as if she could murder him. Annette dearly wished she could help.

"That ill-mannered brat of Bunny Caldwell's? How the hell did that happen?

Before she could answer a loud crash sounded from the kitchen. A moment later Mai-Lei, Kathryn's personal maid, popped her head in, apologizing in Vietnamese before disappearing. That couldn't have been a coincidence Annette thought. Tiffany, momentarily forgetting about her interrogation of her daughter, got to her feet. "How is it, in all of Manhattan, we manage to employ a house exclusively full of incompetents?" She tossed her napkin down with disgust. "Excuse me."

Almost as soon as she made her exit, Edward jumped up as well. "I need to make a phone call, be right back kids."

Out of earshot of the adults, Kathryn turned to her brother and spat, "You're a piece of shit, you know that?"

"Sticks and stones sis," he replied indifferent as he picked at his food with his fork. "So, do you want a ride to Blaine's party tonight or what?"

Annette remembered Kathryn mentioning the party the night before. Normally it might have sounded fun, if she was feeling bored or restless. Watching a bunch of rich, entitled, debauched adolescents, revel in their excess could be amusing. However, it felt like a waste to give up a night worshipping the body of Kathryn Merteuil just to watch some debutantes do jello shots off each other.

Apparently, Kathryn felt the same way.

"I'm not going," she told him as she slipped a hand onto Annette's knee. "I have better things to do."

Sebastian pulled a face. "Ugh. You're totally pussy whipped."

Rather than get defensive or insulted Kathryn merely smiled and agreed. "Yep." She ran her hand up Annette's thigh and smiled knowingly at her as she told her brother, "But you have fun. Try not to catch anything."

He looked as if he was going to spit something back, but then Tiffany returned, following by Edward who looked aggrieved at his wife's return. Picking her wine glass back up she returned her attention to her daughter. "So Kathryn how is your campaign coming? I take it you have no competition this year."

_Shit_. Annette squirmed in her seat and she knew what was coming even before Sebastian opened his mouth. "Funny you should bring that up Tiff," Sebastian chuckled darkly. "As a matter of fact, Annette here is running too."

Tiffany looked at her like she was an insect that crawled across her plate. "Is that so?"

Annette merely nodded. Sebastian of course wasn't finished. Cheerily he continued, "It should make for an interesting race. Annette was student body president of her last school and she's already heading the volunteer committee at Manchester, is the debate co-captain and playing forward on the girl's field hockey team. Very impressive don't you agree?"

"Yes, I do," Tiffany replied, wine glass in hand as she eyed her daughter with a cold, unflinching stare. "Well dear, it looks like you'll have some legitimate competition after all. However do you intend on competing with your paltry extra curriculars and your ever failing social life?"

Kathryn said nothing as she poked her fork into her untouched fois gras. It was the only time Annette ever recalled her looking like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Glaring at her hostess for the evening, Annette realized she'd never hated anyone more. And that included her own father.

Glancing briefly at Sebastian she expected him to look smug and pleased with himself. Instead she found the opposite. He looked vaguely uneasy and maybe a little guilty. _Huh_.

The room was tense as everyone, save for Tiffany, shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Annette wondered if they were going to spend the rest of the meal in uneasy silence. Ironically enough it was Sebastian and he annoying mouth who saved the day.

"So, what's the deal with this maid? Am I going to be a big brother or what?"

* * *

"Well, that was a shit show," Edward announced as he refilled his glass of brandy. "I hope you're proud of yourself."

"Me?" Sebastian exclaimed with false outrage, slumping onto the settee. "What did I do?"

His father leveled an unamused look at him. "Don't give me that crap. You know exactly what you were doing in there. My question is, what exactly did _I_ do to you, huh? I've been a pretty good father, I think. I give you everything you want. I turn a blind eye when you do god knows what with half the female population of Manhattan. I give you all the freedom in the world. All and all I think I'm doing alright in the dad department, wouldn't you agree?"

The man might have been exaggerating his accomplishments, but he wasn't altogether wrong. It could be a lot worse. For instance, he could have Tiffany as his biological parent. "Are you fishing for compliments or something?"

"No, dumbass, I'm trying to find out why you decided to put my balls in a vice. You know how sensitive things are with your stepmother right now, yet you seemed to go out of your way to make things more difficult. Why are you deliberately trying to be an asshole?"

Sebastian honestly hadn't meant to throw his father so completely under the bus. He had zero intentions of bringing up the whole maid fiasco, but Tiffany just wouldn't let up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just trying to break the tension."

"Yes, tension that you created!" Edward paced the length of the study, shaking his head. "You were certainly on fire tonight son. What was with you? You seemed determined to sic your stepmother on Kathryn. You know how tough she is on her. I realize you two seem to get off on taunting each other, but that was cruel even for you. I think you crossed the line."

Sebastian stubbornly picked at his cuticles, muttering, "No such thing where she is concerned." As he said it the memory of Kathryn miserably staring down at her food, looking humiliated and defeated flashed in his mind. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and shook it off. "Anyway, she's fine."

Edward paused, and gave him a suspicious look. "What exactly went on this summer between you two?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. "I barely saw her."

His father's eyes narrowed. "Something went on. You didn't fuck her, did you?"

"Dad!" he cried in exasperation, leaping to his feet. "Come _on_, even I have standards."

"Since when? Do we need to go over the little talk we had a couple years ago?

"Please, no"

A few summers back, during a weekend at his aunt's, he and Kathryn got drunk on margaritas as the pool and in a momentary lapse of judgement, they got handsy with each other. Absolutely nothing happened other than some PG light petting, but it wasn't a good look when his father stumbled upon them and he had his hands on his stepsisters' tits. What followed was an excruciating long lecture that boiled down to this: you're not allowed to fuck your sister.

"What did I tell you? We have one rule in his house: no fucking your sister. As far as rules and you know, _morality_ go, I think it's a pretty logical one."

"For the fortieth fucking time, I've never had sex with Kathryn and I never plan to. Can we drop this please?"

"So long as we're on the same page." Edward took a long swing of his drink, looking thoughtful. "So, what about Annette? Are you screwing her?"

And on that note, Sebastian had enough. With a loud groan he strut to the door. "I'm out of here."

"Because I detected a note of tension there."

"Good for you. Have a nice night dad."

His father was laughing at him as exited, closing the door with a harsh thud. Rolling his eyes, Sebastian decided to head to his bedroom and get ready for the party. He hadn't planned on leaving for another hour or so, but he was itching to get the hell out of there and put the miserable evening behind him.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

As he was heading to his room, he got distracted by the sound of his stepmother's haughty tone berating someone from another room. "Tell me, do you get off on being endlessly disappointing? How could you let this happen?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. How the staff put up with that woman's bullshit he'll never know, but he won't be the least bit surprised when one of them murders her one day. He had every intention of ignoring the whole thing when he heard another voice.

"I'm sorry mother. I didn't mean for it to happen," Kathryn replied, her voice flat and quiet. Sebastian recognized that submissive tone of hers all too well. It only came out when she was dealing with her mother. Something he didn't fully recognize or want to acknowledge twisted in his gut at that sound of it. Suddenly eager to get away, Sebastian started around the corner but quickly drew up short when he spotted Annette lingering at the doorway, eavesdropping. Quickly he backed away before she noticed him. He remained hidden around the corner watching her. Her pretty face was pinched tight in concern as she listened.

"That girl is completely upstaging you. The headmaster's daughter? She's beautiful and clearly marginally intelligent, not to mention all the extra curriculars. Do you honestly think you can compete with that? And what were you thinking inviting her to dinner?"

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Kathryn replied, her voice lacking its usual bite. "Isn't that what you always taught me?"

"I taught you to me more cunning that this."

Observing her, Sebastian wondered if Annette believed any of Kathryn's explanation. He doubted it. She was smarter than that.

"Do you honestly think I haven't noticed how you've been slacking off this summer? According to Valarie Tate you barely attended any Whitney Committee meetings these past months. Judging by that waistline of yours I'd say you've been holed up in your room stuffing your face. It's no wonder Court dumped you for some nouveau riche brat in a training bra."

"Well at least he had the good sense not to knock her up," Kathryn muttered. "It's a shame the same can't be said about my dear stepfather."

_There's my girl_.

Sebastian's brows shot up. He was genuinely surprised at his stepsister's sudden attack of backbone. And kind of impressed. Very rarely did she let her true colors show when dealing with her mother. He also knew there'd be a price to pay. He wasn't surprised when a moment later the distinct and punishing sound of a slap echoed through the door.

Annette was so startled she jumped. Anger crowded her face as she reached for the door handle. Without giving in a second though, Sebastian quickly came up behind her and stopped her. She swung back around, ready for a fight. He quickly silenced her with a brisk shake of his head. _You don't want to go in there._

Annette eyed him warily for a beat but did as he wordlessly instructed. They both stood in uneasy silence as they listened.

"I'm sorry Mother that was out of line," Kathryn told her sounding pathetically contrite. "It won't happen again."

"Your damn right it won't. One more screw up from you darling daughter and I'm sending you to one of those rehab facilities we discussed to deal with that nasty little habit of yours. And you can rest assured it won't be a cushy day spa in Switzerland. Do you understand?"

"Yes"

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to return."

Annette and Sebastian stood quietly as they heard them depart, luckily not through the door they were listening at. Sebastian exhaled loudly. "Well that was sufficiently dramatic."

Hargrove glared up at in him disgust. "You're a fucking asshole Valmont."

Turning on her heal she started away, but Sebastian jumped in front of her blocking her path. "Why am I an asshole? Just because I didn't let you go charging in there and making everything worse?"

"So I should just pretend I didn't hear any of that? Not say anything and just let that bitch hurt her?"

He just shook his head. "It will only piss her off further. Tiffany will continue to be a monstrous bitch and Kathryn won't stand up to her. Getting involved won't help anything."

He spoke from experience. Sebastian remembered, when he was thirteen, he walked in on one of their mother/daughter rows. When Tiffany started to belittle Kathryn, he attempted to intervene. It hadn't gone well. Tiffany had merely laughed at him, mocking his efforts and his supposed crush on his sister. Kathryn didn't talk to him for a week after that. From that moment on, he made it a point to stay out of their relationship. "Kathryn can take care of herself," he told Annette. "Trust me."

Annette studied him for a long uncomfortable moment. "You know what I think? You don't want to intervene, because if you did you might have to acknowledge that Kathryn isn't the unfeeling bitch monster you've built her up as in your head."

"So, what, you want to save her now is that it?" When Annette didn't reply he continued, "Look I get it. There was a time I wanted the same thing. I thought I could help her, save her, but the truth is she doesn't want to be saved. She feeds off her own misery. And she won't be happy until everyone around her is just as miserable."

"God, she really did do a number on you, didn't she?"

"She had help," he grumbled.

Annette smiled faintly and shook her head. "You know I keep thinking about what you wrote in your stupid journal, about Kathryn not hesitating to destroy someone."

"What of it?" he asked waspishly.

"You were wrong. When it came to destroying you, she hesitated. You don't know her half as well as you think you do Valmont."

Sebastian flinched, caught off guard. Hargrove didn't wait for a response before strutting off down the hall. Part of him wanted to demand she come back here and explain further. The other wanted to pretend she never said anything.

_God fucking dammit._ He needed to get out of there.

* * *

Ignoring the persistent knocking on the other side of the door, Kathryn got rid of the rest of her dinner. Crouched over the toilet in a rather undignified manor she violently shoved her finger down her throat making herself sick. Kathryn had long gotten over the distasteful nature of what she was doing (sometime between seventh and eighth grade). The vomit didn't even bother her anymore.

She contemplated going in for one last purge (she shouldn't have indulged in that extra bite of sautéed corn), but the annoying knocking wouldn't let up. Kathryn threw a contemptuous glare at the door, annoyed that her sacred ritual was being intruded upon. She knew who it was of course. Sebastian would never have the balls to interrupt her when she was doing this.

Getting to her feet, she flushed the toilet and went to the vanity to wash up. A moment later Annette finally forced opens the door. She looked mildly exasperated, but in the blink of an eye her expression shifted to calculated indifference. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well you found me," Kathryn replied flatly as she scrubbed her hands until they turned red in the sink. "What's so damn important you couldn't give me five minutes?"

"Your stupid brother was pestering me."

"Yes, and I'm sure you just _hated_ that," she replied, trying to sound flippant but landing on bitchy instead. For a second Kathryn regretted it, but then she remembered the way Sebastian looked at her that morning and all the little looks the two seemed to be sharing that night and suddenly her paranoia took over.

Annette's eyes narrowed briefly at the remark, but she let it pass. Leaning against the counter, arms casually crossed she pointedly looked at the toilet. "I've always wondered, why not just use laxatives?"

Kathryn flinched at the question. This wasn't a topic she wanted to discuss. Ever. "Too messy," she told her curtly.

"Ah, but barfing up dinner is so much more glamourous," she teased, fingering a strand of her hair. Kathryn swatted her hand away irritably. It wasn't unusual for them to tease and taunt each other about things, especially personal things, but this was off limits.

"Are you okay?"

She turned to her with a fake smile. "Of course, why?"

Annette's annoyingly astute gaze bore into her. "Your mother is certainly a piece of work."

Kathryn winced thinking about how her mother treated Annette that evening. It was awful even by her own low standards. She didn't know what she was thinking inviting her in the first place. "I'm sorry I should have…better prepared you or something. She was certainly in rare form tonight."

Annette shook her head as she caressed her cheek. "Don't worry about it. My family isn't exactly functional." Her gaze once again shifted towards the toilet before finding hers again. "You shouldn't let her get to you like this. She isn't worth it. No parent is."

Kathryn took this in. It was odd, Annette wasn't one to dabble in trite sentiments and she was as interested in emotional honesty about as much as Kathryn was. So what gives? Her first instinct as always was to suspect she was playing some kind of game. Maybe trying to get her to lower her guard, but no, even she wasn't so paranoid to suspect Annette was trying to play her. Her concern was on the level. Which, in a way, made it so much worse.

Staring into her face she was struck by a sudden realization. That cheek Annette was caressing so lovingly was the same one her mother slapped not fifteen minutes ago. The sudden turn towards tenderness, the insistent need to barge into the bathroom, all made sense now. Annette had overheard her conversation with her mother.

Kathryn felt ill. She could tolerate a lot, but not pity. And that's exactly what this was. She felt sorry for her. _God_.

Just recalling how pathetic she had acted, how she let her mother humiliate her like that and she just took it, she felt deeply ashamed. It was her private hell she didn't want anyone to know about, least of all her. And Annette had heard all of it.

Grasping her wrist, she shoved her hand away and replied with barely contained rage, "It's fine."

Strutting out of the bathroom Kathryn headed into her room and did a quick sweep, trying to remember where she left her cross. She spotted it on her shelf beside her bed and desperately wanted a hit but not with Annette present. It would likely just add fuel her belief that she was spiraling out. Instead she went to her closet and began to shove through the clothes. "Going somewhere?" Annette stood in the doorway, watching her curiously.

"Yes. I'm going to Blaine's party."

Annette took this in. "Since when?"

"Since now." _Since you started looking at me with that sickeningly sincere expression_.

The blonde stepped further into the room and came up behind her. She slipped her hands around her waist and suddenly she was overcome with that familiar sensation that happened whenever Annette touched her that shot right to her core. Leaning into her she pressed her lips to her bare shoulder. "I thought you wanted to stay in tonight?"

For a brief second Kathryn felt herself soften. A part of her wanted to give in. Let her anger and her pride go. Just forget about everything and let Annette take her to bed.

_Do you get off on being endlessly disappointing?_ Her mother's voice echoed in her head. It wouldn't stop.

Kathryn jerked away from her and walked over to her section of lingerie displayed on delicate satin hangers. "We can do that any night," she sighed. "I'm in the mood for something different tonight." Or rather someone different. Someone who didn't know her. Someone who thought she was just some hot bitch with no gag reflex. Someone who didn't know the lengths she was willing to stoop for just a little parental approval.

Hastily grabbing a lace Bordelle bodysuit and garters, Kathryn told her over her shoulder, "Be ready in thirty, okay? The theme is 'everyone gets fucked' so borrow whatever you like."

Kathryn passed by her, intent on heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. "I'm not going," Annette announced halting her in her tracks.

Swinging back around Kathryn demanded, "Excuse me?"

Looking decidedly annoyed Annette argued, "Kathryn if I wanted to watch a bunch of teenagers get drunk and fuck, I'd visit the dorms, I wouldn't drive all the way out to fucking Westchester."

She didn't know why she was surprised by this. No matter what she might like to tell herself, Annette would never be her toy. She couldn't control her and she couldn't play her. It made Kathryn oddly resentful.

"Fine," she sighed, "Suit yourself. But I have no interest in wasting my Saturday night at home. I want to get fucked—in more ways than one."

"Well you should have ample opportunity for it there," Annette sneered. "Maybe you'll run into your brother and you two can finally seal the deal."

Kathryn rolled her eyes as she headed to the bathroom. "As if I have any interest in your sloppy seconds." Pausing at the sink she pretended to think it over. "Blaine promised to introduce me to this hot Duke who's supposedly hung like a horse. Maybe I'll try him out or perhaps a jock with a nice ass. I'm in the mood for someone…big."

Annette merely cocked a brow at this. Meanwhile Kathryn turned to her reflection, not really seeing herself, too lost in her own head. A second later Annette grabbed her by the arm and got into her face. "Why are you acting like this?" she demanded, calm even now, when she clearly was pissed off.

Kathryn pushed her off. "Acting like what?"

"Like some haughty icy bitch?"

She leveled a knowing look at her. "Are you new here?"

"You're acting like _her_," she declared and somehow that felt like the worst insult she could level at her. "Is that what you want? To be like your mother—bitter, miserable and untouchable?"

"What I want is to get ready for the party." Zeroing in for the kill Kathryn told her meanly, "Look, I get that you have some little U-Haul, domesticated lesbian fantasy about the two of us, but I'm not interested. Perhaps, rather than trying to keep up with me, you should find someone else. Oh, I know! Maybe one of the girls on the field hockey team will be interested."

Annette glared at her mutinously and shook her head. "Go fuck yourself Kathryn." Turning on her heel she marched out of the room, tossing over her shoulder as she departed, "Enjoy your party."

Kathryn miserably stared at her reflection and replied quietly, "I will."

* * *

**AN:** So I've gotten a couple of inquiries as to why I don't update this more often since it's technically finished. There's a couple of reasons I have the schedule I do:

While these chapters are done, they still need a lot of work. I'm having to add whole scenes and change POV's in certain parts because of changes I made later on in the story. For instance in this chapter, the scene where Annette and Sebastian eavesdrop on Kathryn was originally done in Annette's POV, but I realized I hadn't heard Sebastian's 'voice' in this chapter and knowing that next chapter he has limited or no POV I wanted to add it. Or in the previous chapter the Ronald scene was added because I wanted to establish his character a little more because he becomes a bigger part of the story down the road.

While I'm editing this, I'm also writing part 2. The idea is that when this story finishes it can segue into the sequel without a long break (or no break) between stories

I'm also an exceptionally slow writer who overthinks stupid shit

On top of that I'm currently working full time as my job is considered 'essential'. I have limited free time to work on this

To be honest, it's hard getting this updated with the schedule I have now, so unfortunately it won't be changing anytime soon. It will be updated on the 10th, 20th and 30th of every month. Sorry. That said, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Let me know what you think!


	11. The Confession

**Chapter 10: The Confession**

* * *

As Kathryn stepped through the doors of Blaine's orgy, she realized almost immediately it was a bad idea.

It was pure hedonistic debauchery at its finest. As the theme was 'everyone gets fucked' most people had apparently taken that to mean come naked. There were dicks and tits as far as the eye could see. In nearly every room she entered Kathryn found someone sucking or fucking. There were people walking around on leashes. One room featured nearly everyone getting head as a porno played on the big screen tv. In the main parlor a full on orgy was taking place with spectators observing. As Blaine enforced a strict no camera or phone policy, everyone was free to act as debauched as they wanted.

All this to say, this was no high school keg party.

Despite Annette's dismissal as such, there weren't many high schoolers in attendance. In fact, as her gaze swept across the library, set up to resemble a hookah lounge with strippers, Kathryn realized she only recognized a few people. Blaine had a carefully curated list of attendees. The few Manchester students who were invited weren't the sort who gave a fuck that the Upper East Side golden girl was parading around in a nighty with her tits on display and snorting lines of blow. In other words, she was free to be as reckless as she wished.

It was ironic then that the only thing she wanted to do was go home.

Once upon a time this was her favorite scene. All this decadence and debauchery and filth. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't turning into some kind of prude, but it also wasn't getting her off in the same way it once did. God, what the hell was wrong with her?

At least if Annette was there, they could enjoy it together. Now it just felt lonely and hollow and so been-there-done-that. There was no passion, no excitement. Kathryn realized then she was an idiot to pick a fight with Annette in the first place. She could be home right now, fucking her brains out with someone who actually cared about her. Instead, she was wandering around this stupid party, working up the effort to get herself laid.

"Well fancy seeing you here, sis."

Kathryn rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she heard her stepbrother's familiar in her ear. _Christ, kill me now_. She turned to find Sebastian looming beside her, dressed in a black satin robe and Tom Ford boxer shorts that looked like leather. He carried a cocktail in his right hand. His gaze traveled down her body in a long perusal before settling on her all but exposed breasts. "I was under the impression you were too good for these parties."

"You were mistaken. As Always." She took the drink from his hand and took a swig. Stoli on the rocks.

"Where's your better half?"

She sighed as she stared disinterestedly as last years prom queen blew two guys wearing nipple rings. "She couldn't make it," she told him.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see him smirk smugly. "Trouble in paradise?"

Ignoring the question, Kathryn turned to him and snapped, "Isn't there a catalogue model around for you to mount?"

Unfazed he replied, "I'll take that as a yes."

Sneering at him she turned, intent on putting as much distance between him and her as she could when she nearly ran into a topless waiter wearing tiny sparkly booty shorts. "Party favor?" he asked brightly, holding up a tray of coke.

Kathryn smiled gratefully, before tossing her hair over her shoulder and snorting a thick line followed quickly by another. Wiping her nose, she sat back on her heels as the drug did its thing. Everything looked sharper than normal and her brain already unrelentingly loud, was racing with observations as her gaze scanned the party. When she turned around to find Sebastian watching her, he suddenly looked more in focus. His smirk was gone, replaced by his usual pout and his eyes were drawn in concern as if he just found out there was no more pussy to fuck. Ever. Kathryn wanted to laugh, but then he opened his mouth and asked, "Are you okay?"

Her amusement died quickly. He was looking at her like…well like Annette had earlier. _Jesus_. Had everyone heard her mother ream her out? Kathryn suddenly felt ill all over again. She could handle an angry Sebastian, a horny Sebastian, hell even a vengeful Sebastian, but she'd be damned if she stood around being condescended to by a sympathetic Sebastian.

Tossing off his question she replied airily, "Of course, why shouldn't I be?"

"Really? Cause you seem a little—

"What do you care?" she snapped at him. "Didn't you swear to loath me for all eternity or some shit?"

"Well ruining your life won't be nearly as much fun if you're dead in a ditch somewhere."

That was rich coming from the boy who nearly OD'ed in her lap a few weeks ago. Rather than point this out she laughed at him. There was no quicker way to crush Valmont than to mock him. "That's adorable. After everything I put you through this summer, you're still so obsessed with me. I'm flattered, don't get me wrong, but I stand by earlier stance—I don't fuck losers." Smiling meanly, she turned on her heel and sauntered away, pleased at having put him in his place.

Only Sebastian wasn't letting her walk away so easy. Following behind her, he leaned in and remarked, "Don't tell me, you pulled this shit on her and she told you to fuck off, right?"

Kathryn flinched as she leaned up against the mahogany bar, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him. "I warned you, you'd fuck it up. I tried to warn her too, but she wouldn't listen. She thinks she can save you, but the truth is some people are just lost causes." Leaning in closer he added, "They aren't worth the effort. Apparently, she agreed with me."

That hurt far more than she wanted it to. Meeting his gaze, she huffed, "You think you know me so well, don't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes I do," he sighed.

Pushing off the bar she leaned into him and ran her hands up his bare chest before settling them around his neck. She jerked him close until his mouth was only a whisper away. "You know what I want now brother dearest," she cooed, nuzzling her nose against his. Sebastian was scowling, but there was blatant interest in his eyes. Going in for the kill she whispered, "I want someone to ram me so hard I forget my fucking name. I want him to fill me up until his cum is spilling out of me and then I want him to do it all over again." Kathryn flicked her tongue teasingly against his pout. "Know anyone who might be interested?"

Sebastian swallowed hard, his Adams's apple visibly wobbling as his gaze moved back and forth from her tits to her mouth. Finally, he replied, "Maybe."

Kathryn smiled. "So do I…now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go make myself available to that tall, dark eyed, gentleman over there." Stepping away from him she wiggled her fingers as she departed and called out, "Have a good evening Sebastian."

Let this be a lesson to you Valmont—she was always worth the effort.

* * *

"That goddamn bitch!" Clutching her phone against her ear, Annette angrily paced the length of her small bedroom. "Insinuating I'm a clingy U-Haul lesbian because I don't want to spend the evening getting pounded by the lacrosse team or whatever."

Trevor laughed warmly on the other end. "Well if we're being honest doll, that doesn't sound like the worst way to spend an evening."

"You're not helping," she grumbled.

"Sorry, but you kind of lost me at U-Haul lesbian. Back up and start over. What happened exactly?"

Sighing, Annette tried to calm herself down before reciting the events of earlier that evening. By the end of it she found herself worked up again.

"I'm sick to death of her goddamn mood swings," she huffed, resuming her pacing. "Just because she has a shitty mother doesn't mean she gets to take it out on me!"

"The nerve," Trevor muttered back with faux outrage.

"She's the one who invited me tonight. I didn't want to meet her fucking parents!"

"Crazy bitch"

Annette paused hearing the note of sarcasm in his voice. "Stop it."

"What? I'm trying to be supportive. Isn't that what the gay BFF is supposed to do in this scenario?"

Annette wasn't fooled. "Really? Because you sound like you're mocking me asshole."

Trevor laughed, his voice warm and masculine. She hadn't realized until that moment just how much she missed him. "Can you blame me? Who would have guessed, you of all people, losing your shit over a _high school_ girl?"

Listening to his gentle mocking released a little bit of her anger or at least made her realize how idiotic she sounded. Collapsing back on her bed she sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "You're right. God this is embarrassing. How did I let this happen?"

"You got addicted to Cersei Lannister's pussy," he quipped.

"Ugh. I just need to let this whole thing go." Admitting defeat, she remarked more to herself than to him, "I never should have let it get this far."

"I think it's a little late for that now," Trevor softly remarked. "Face it kid, you're in love with her."

Annette immediately prickled at the accusation. "Excuse me? That's _not_ what this is. I'm not…where would you ever get the idea …I don't…" Even as the words came out of her mouth, she knew it was bullshit. Annette never had any qualms about lying to anyone, but for some reason when it came to herself she could never make it work. With a defeated sigh she exclaimed, "Fuck."

"Yeah"

"What am I going to do?"

"You could tell her. Honesty is the best policy. Or so I hear."

Annette let out a short laugh. "You don't know this girl. If she gets even a whiff of that word, she'll run for the hills. Evidentially she already thinks I'm a stage five clinger."

"Yeah and a couple of months ago you would have done the same thing," he reminded her. "Things change."

"Not Kathryn Merteuil. You should have heard her tonight. All I was trying to do, was tell her that I understood about having a shitty parent and she turned into a complete cunt."

Trevor was quiet for a minute. "You know I remember this time in middle school. We were about to go to that waterpark they just built in Kansas City. We were waiting for your aunt to come pick us up. Then your dad starting laying into you, being a total asshole as per usual. Back then you weren't as ferocious as you are now and you just kind of took it. After, I tried to joke around with you, to take your mind off it and you got all pissy and then refused to let me come with you."

Annette of course realized the comparison he was making, but she still grumbled, "What's your point?"

"My point my dear Annie is that you and the prom queen are more alike than you realize. Maybe she just needs time to become as bad ass as you are."

She smiled despite herself. "She's not the prom queen. I don't think."

"Whatever. Just talk to her."

"And if she laughs in my face?"

"Then tell the bitch to take a hike and move on to the next."

Grabbing for a joint she had hidden under her mattress she lit it and took a drag. "I miss you," she admitted to him. "I wish you were here. Can you come to New York?"

Trevor had already graduated and was deferring college a year to work with his uncle in Scotland. His parents, unlike hers were much more lenient (although not so lenient they could handle having a gay son).

"Well I can't come _tomorrow_, but maybe I could swing a weekend or something. Uncle Todd isn't so much with the parenting. He spends most of his nights in the lab. I don't even think he knows I'm here half the time."

"Lucky you," she chuckled. "Look I'm sorry I woke you. Tell whoever that kind young gentleman who answered your cell that I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'll make it up to him in the morning. Bye babe."

"Bye"

Hanging up, Annette immediately felt more focused and confident about what she had to do. Enough of this wallowing in self-pity crap. If she wanted Kathryn, she had to go out and get her. Which meant she had to go to that fucking party. Ugh.

But first she had to find out where it was.

Lucky for her she knew just the asshole to turn to. He answered on the third ring. "Uh, hey, Annette."

"Gregster!" she greeted him with false cheer. "I need some information…"

* * *

"Well, isn't this a surprise."

Blaine Tuttle was wearing the shortest robe she'd ever seen on a male. Standing at the entrance of the massive estate, he was flanked by two burly security guards. Taking a tablet from one of the men he pretended to examine it. "I don't believe the headmaster's daughter is on the invite list."

In no mood for this bullshit, Annette sighed. "Is she here?"

"Who? Cher? Bianca del Rio? Rihanna? Who is this mysterious lady you seek?"

"Cut the shit Tuttle," she spat, her patients wearing thin. "I know Valmont is in there. Is she with him?"

He pulled a face. "Sorry, I can't give out personal information of that kind. Have a good night."

Annette held the door when he tried to close it. Blaine quirked an eyebrow at the maneuver and made some kind of gesture to security to get rid of her. She ignored them and called out to his retreating back, "Perhaps I should put in a call to my father and tell him how you left school for the weekend without permission so you could throw an orgy, with _many_ underage students."

"Wow, the headmaster's daughter is a narc? Plot twist!" Shaking his head unimpressed he sneered, "My parents and their lawyers will clear it and if headmaster daddy so much as tries to make trouble for me he'll be out on his ass and you'll be on the next plane back to Kansas." He condescendingly tapped her on the head. "Better luck next time princess."

Once again he tried to close the door, once again Annette wouldn't let him. "Alright then how about after I hang up with my father, I call Dominic. He's your supplier right? Maybe I'll tell him about how you've been skimming some of the profits for the past year. Something tells me mommy and daddy won't be able to get you out of that one with the Mexican drug cartel."

"How did you—"

"People's secrets, especially when they're so messy and obvious are easy to detect. You've been sloppy Blaine. I expected better from you."

Interest flickered in Blaine's eyes as he gave her a once over. "I'm impressed, but look I can't just let you in. There's a dress code."

As if on cue a guy in a pair of assless pants walking a topless young woman on a leash past them. Annette rolled her eyes. "For Christ sakes," she muttered as she took her dress off leaving her in the black lace push up bra and matching thong Kathryn leant to her. She shoved the garment at Blaine then angrily pushed past him and his security. This time he didn't try to stop her.

The party was clearly in full swing with naked and half naked people everywhere she looked. Some of them were involved in one kind of carnal act or another. Some sat around talking with glasses of champagne oblivious to the people fucking beside them. The whole thing was odd and had she not been on a mission Annette might have been tempted to explore further. As it was though she barely noticed anything as she sought out Kathryn.

After circling the main floor twice and coming up empty Annette sagged against a bar in the corner of an ornate library. The man behind the bar looked like he could be a Versace model was wearing a tiny thong. He asked what she wanted, but before she could answer she felt someone come up behind her and place something over her shoulders. Turning she saw it was a silk robe and oddly enough the person giving it to her was Blaine Tuttle.

When she gave him a questioning look he leaned in and whispered, "Some of these people are more touch first, ask questions later."

"Charming." She slid her arms into the sleeves.

"I'd hate to see that cute little ass of yours roughed up. Kathryn would never forgive me."

Annette sparked at the mention of her girl. "Have you _seen_ her?"

Blaine nodded across the long room towards a couple on the couch. Through the crush of bodies, it was hard to make them out at first, but when she saw that flash of chestnut hair next to pale skin and dark lips, she knew. Kathryn was giving some fucking loser a lap dance. This one was much more pornographic than the one she gave her stepbrother. Annette's stomach turned at the display and her hopes, which she hadn't realized she had been holding on to, collapsed.

"Mother fucker," she muttered, as she pushed off the bar for a better look. She didn't dare get too close. She felt embarrassed enough as it was coming all the way out there only to find the girl she supposedly love getting ready to fuck someone else. A guy dressed up as a Grecian slave, walked past with a tray of drinks. Annette grabbed one and pounded it down barely tasting the alcohol as it burned her throat.

Feeling the presence of Blaine beside her she asked as if he had the answer, "What the hell is she doing?"

Annette started to leave only for Blaine to pull her back. "You really going to give up that easily? How disappointing. I expected more from you."

Thinking he was mocking her she huffed, "Fuck off."

Once again she tried to leave and once again he pulled her back, this time leading her over to the bar. Annette pushed him off. "What's your problem? You don't even know me."

"I think I'm getting there. Let me guess, you're used to being the smartest person in the room. You always hit first and anyone dumb enough to strike back soon learns there's no hurting you." You're never emotionally invested enough to car about anyone or anything, always one foot out the door and the only person you trust is yourself." When Annette didn't say anything, he laughed and pulled a cigarette out of his robe. Lighting up he told her, "The way I see it, you and I are kindred spirits."

"Lucky me"

"Well it's going to earn you some good advice"

"What if I don't want it?"

Ignoring the question, he leaned in close. The smile had vanished from his face and his expression had become hard. "_Run_"

"Excuse me?"

"You like her right, more than like I'm guessing if you tracked her all the way to fucking Westchester in the middle of the night." Annette didn't say anything, but she did flinch at the accusation and he nodded. "That's what I thought. Look if you're half as smart and you think you are you'll get the hell out of here and never look back. Get out now while you still can. You don't want to go any further down the Kathryn Merteuil rabbit hole believe me."

She was genuinely taken aback by this. "I thought you two were friends?"

"We are," he told her blowing a smoke ring into the air. "Which is why I can say with all certainty that if you take this thing with Kathryn any further it won't end well."

Annette rolled her eyes. "Why, because Kathryn's a horrible, selfish bitch who only knows how to destroy people? You're sounding an awful lot like your buddy Sebastian."

Blaine smiled faintly. "He isn't wrong, but that's not what I'm referring to. It's not Kathryn who will be the end of you two, it's the baggage that comes with her."

"You mean the drugs and bulimia and—

"I'm talking about Sebastian."

For some reason that felt like a small gut punch. Annette shook her head. "There's nothing going on between them."

"Oh, come on, you're too smart to actually believe that. Physically speaking, you're right. I don't think Valmont's gotten so much as a tit grab from her. It doesn't matter. What those two have between them transcends the physical. It's twisted and fucked up and no matter what they say, neither one of them is letting go anytime soon. They wouldn't know how."

"You're being dramatic."

"Am I? When we were thirteen, this chick named Laura transferred in. Sebastian was completely nuts about her. Kathryn was of course sick with jealousy. Well one day Kathryn shows up with a black eye and claims Laura did it. Of course everyone believed her and poor Laura was ostracized so bad she didn't make it through the semester before transferring to some school in Connecticut. Later on, Sebastian told me she actually did it to herself using a fucking hammer. He was smiling when he told me."

"Jesus"

"Not enough? I could tell you about all the times Valmont has sicked sluts on Kathryn's various boyfriends, so she breaks up with them. She knows he does it. She gets off on it, they both do. What I'm trying to tell you blondie, is if you try to come between them, you're just going to end up as another Laura. Kathryn might be infatuated with you now, but soon or later Sebastian will find a way to weasel his way into things. And she'll let him."

Turning towards him Annette studied him a beat, trying to figure out if he was playing her. He was a rather attractive guy despite the ridiculous 2000-era hair. "Why are you really telling me this?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I like you. You're all sassy and mean and don't give a shit. I'm honestly not trying to be a dick. I just think you deserve better than to become collateral in their fucked up relationship."

The strange thing was Annette actually believed him. As much as she didn't want to listen to him, she knew what he was saying was true. "Thanks for the advice," she murmured into her glass.

He shrugged. "Anytime. Enjoy the party."

Annette watched him disappear back into the party. Grabbing another glass of champagne, she downed it quickly and considered leaving. She was just about getting up the nerve to do it when she noticed Kathryn and her rando leave the room hand in hand. Despite the voice in her head screaming to forget about her, she found herself following them to the second floor. Standing down the hall, she watched as they disappeared into a bedroom.

_Just fucking leave already. Let it go. She isn't worth it. Blaine is right._

But was he really?

Annette had never done what she was told. Was she seriously going to do it now? Logically she knew he had a point. Kathryn and Sebastian did share some twisted bond. However, did that really mean she was incapable of leaving him behind? Maybe Kathryn was worth it.

"To hell with it."

Leaving her pride and common sense behind, Annette charged after them. Throwing open the door, she found them going at it on the bed. Kathryn turned as she arrived and immediately bolted upright, eyes wide in surprise. Annette decided then and there that driving all the way to Westchester had been kind of worth it, if only to see that look on her face.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," she explained, standing over the bed.

Kathryn stared at her a beat before huffing, "Fuck off. I'm in the middle of something." She then grabbed what's-his-name and started to make out with him.

Arms to her chest Annette sighed. "Fine. I'll wait."

The rando, leered at her over Kathryn's shoulder. "No need to wait sweetheart. Why don't you join us?"

She sneered at the idea of letting this sleezy douchebag touch her. "Hard no."

Something flashed in his eyes then and it made Annette's spine straighten. She wondered if he was dangerous. Untangling himself from Kathryn he got to his feet and grabbed at Annette's waist. "Come on princess it's a party."

She struggled unsuccessfully out of his hold. "I don't think so. Let go of me asshole!"

"Carter leave her alone," Kathryn ordered making a grab for his arm but missing. Carter. Staring into his arrogant face Annette realized she recognized him. He was on that teen show, the one about Vampires or some such crap. Although clearly, he was a little long in the tooth to be playing a teen. _Fantastic_. She was about to get sexual assaulted by a teen vampire.

"Come here," he murmured at her, sounding more than a little drink. "Why don't you take this off?"

_Okay, enough of this shit._

Remembering a move she learned in a self-defense class she took last year, Annette abruptly and violently shoved the palm of her hand into his nose. Carter immediately let her go, crying out in pain as he clutched his bleeding face. He mumbled something at her that sounded like "goddamn bitch" before taking a swipe at her. Annette easily ducked it then kneed him in the groin. He collapsed to his knees.

Taking her cell from her purse, she snapped a few pictures of him. Grabbing him by the back of the head, she forced him to look at her. "Get the fuck out of here and leave us alone or I'm going to call Blaine's security up here to beat the shit out of you. And oh, if I ever hear about you touching another girl against her will I'm sending these photos to TMZ asshole."

She let him go and watched as he pathetically crawled out the room. Annette followed him making sure to lock the door behind him. "You really can pick them," she told Kathryn.

"No kidding," she remarked, giving her a look to remind her she was part of that distinction. "And here I thought Sebastian was the drama queen."

Ignoring the dig, she told her, "We need to talk."

Kathryn rolled her eyes and started off the bed. "I'm not in the mood."

Annette immediately pushed her back down. "Just shut up," she ordered, "And listen."

Before she could argue or try to leave again Annette started talking. "You and I are all kinds of fucked up." Kathryn cocked a brow at this but otherwise said nothing. "We're both selfish and cruel and manipulative. You are much pettier and more histrionic than me but—

"Yes, I believe Sebastian covered all this in his book. What's your point?"

She took a breath. This was the hard part. "My point is I understand you. Better than you know. I know your mother is shitty and she makes you want to hurt yourself or hurt someone else. I know it makes you want to burn the world down sometimes. Girls like us don't let people treat them that way—or at least we like to pretend that we don't. I didn't realize how much of a nightmare your mother was. I should have, but I guess I was too afraid to look too closely at that."

Kathryn shook her head, appearing vaguely uneasy. "Why are you telling me this?"

Annette paused, wondering if she was really going to do this. Once she said it, once it was out there, there was no putting the cat back in the bag. Now or never.

_Fuck it._

"Because I'm in love with you." It came out much more angry than she intended, almost like an accusation. Like she was blaming her. Maybe she was.

Kathryn looked stunned and for a brief moment Annette contemplated fleeing. Just run right out of the room, but she had never run from anything in her life and she'd be damned if she started now.

So she started talking, babbling really, as she began to pace. "I know that word terrifies you. It sure as shit terrifies me. I can lie about anything, to anyone, but I can't lie to myself. I won't. And to be honest this is kind of the last thing I need right now. I need to concentrate on getting into Yale, I need this year to go just right. I shouldn't be getting involved with you. If I was smart, I would just end this now. But I can't seem to let you go and I don't want to."

She babbled until she had no more words left and turned to find Kathryn staring at her with little to no expression. Annette stopped her pacing and let out a breath. "What?"

She just stared back at her for a long excruciating beat before finally speaking, her voice hard. "Are you still wearing my bra and panties?"

That…hadn't been what she was expecting. In all honesty Annette expected her to freak out or get pissed or try to flee. Instead she asked for her clothes back. "Huh? Yeah."

"Take them off," Kathryn ordered sounding every bit the high queen. "I want them back."

"What?"

"Take them off now."

Annette stared at her a moment, trying to tell if she was fucking with her, but Kathryn, when she really chose to, had an excellent poker face. Shaking her head she grumbled, "Alright. Fine." Annette removed the lace bra and threw it at her. It wasn't until she was shimmying out of her panties did she realize what was really going on.

Apparently falling in love made her a moron.

She looked up to find Kathryn watching her, eyes glazed in hunger. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Annette paused in her movements and met Kathryn's gaze, realizing then she wasn't angry or upset. She wasn't running. She was toying with her.

Two can play at that game bitch.

Straightening up Annette pulled her panties back on and told her airily, "On second thought I think I'm going to keep them on. The drive back to school might be a little chilly and I'd hate to ruin the interior of my car. Have a good night."

She turned, wondering how far she'd let her before she stopped her. It turned out not far. Kathryn grabbed at her wrist pulling her back. "Take them off," she ordered, her mouth hovering dangerously close to her own.

Annette shook her head, her eyes on the lush red of the brunette's mouth and the way her chest was gently heaving. Remembering the salty taste of her skin, her mouth began to water. "Nope. You want them back you'll have to take them from me," she taunted.

Kathryn's brow quirked up at the challenge and the next thing she knew, her perfectly manicured nails were digging into her side as she tried to tear the expensive flimsy fabric from her hips. Annette chuckled, feeling as if some kind of weight had been lifted off her chest when she realized she wasn't going to run or end this or try to blow up the world over it.

Wrapping am arm around her trim waist she jerked her forward and kissed her hard. Kathryn eagerly returned the kiss, her hands all but ripping the panties from her body as she did. Clutching her face she pulled her back and told her, "You talk too much."

They fell back into the bed, making out hard as their hands eagerly searched out heated flesh. The lace bodysuit Kathryn wore was sexy for sure, but a pain in the ass. The damn thing was practically melded to her body. Annette impatiently yanked at the front of it, ripping it a little in an effort to get to her tits. Kathryn tossed her head back laughing as Annette stared at the thing like it was quantum physics. "There's a zipper on the side idiot," she advised her, eyes smiling.

Annette grinned as she felt around for the zipper, finding it at last. She took her time then taking it off, watching enraptured as each part of her exquisite body was revealed to her eyes. Leaning in she feasted on her breasts, sucking her nipples one at a time before taking both of them in her mouth. Kathryn whimpered, bucking her hips against her. She wondered if she could make her come from this alone.

But then Kathryn pushed her back and slid out from underneath her. In a flash she was on top of Annette, taking control as she straddled her thigh. Annette sat up, finding her mouth, kissing her fiercely as she squeezed her tits. Kathryn laughed against her lips. "And here I thought you were an ass girl."

"No darling, that would be you."

It was true, Kathryn loved having her ass groped, fucked, licked, or spanked and she loved returning the favor. Annette could give it or take it. She was right though, she did have a thing for tits or at least hers. As she bent her head to suckle her breasts again Kathryn started to grind down on her thigh, impatiently. She wrapped an around the back of her neck, holding Annette close as she fucked herself on her leg. Annette titled her head back to watch her. As always, she found herself in awe of her expression when she took her pleasure. It wasn't a surprise when Kathryn came soon after. She always came quickly. Annette loved that about her. How eager she was for it, how insatiable she was. She always found it a wonder she could keep her satisfied.

Kathryn jerked, her body shuddering in orgasm. Annette tenderly kissed the side of her face and held her through her little aftershocks. When she pulled back, eyes glazed, hair sticking to her temples, Annette swore there was never anyone more beautiful. "You made a mess on my leg," she told her.

"Mmm, sorry," she murmured not sounding the slightest bit sorry.

"Clean it up," Annette ordered.

A lazy smile appeared on her face as she nodded and then scooted off her lap. Annette watched transfixed as Kathryn leaned down and licked at her thigh, lapping up her own cream, looking like a little kitten drinking her milk. She ran her hand through her hair, like she was her pet. Annette could feel her cunt twitch in need. Luckily, Kathryn didn't make her wait long.

Her eyes flashed with mischief as she looked up at her from her space between her thighs. Kathryn proceeded to kiss and lick at the inside of her leg as she made her way to her cunt. Annette spread her legs wide in invitation, but Kathryn was in no hurry. Apparently, she was in the mood to play the tease tonight. Annette wondered if she was in for another round of 'I forgot how to do it' one of Kathryn's favorite games, where she pretended she didn't know what she was doing so Annette would have to give her explicit directions on how to proceed. She had gotten off on their little session with Cecile far more than she realized.

But no, that game wasn't on the agenda that night. Kathryn shifted further down and spread the lips of her labia apart, exposing her overheated pussy to the cool air conditioning of the room. At that point Annette was so turned on and eager she was practically shaking. She threaded her fingers through Kathryn's hair. Their gazes locked. She expected her to make her beg. Instead she caught her completely off guard with what she said next.

"Do you really love me?" Kathryn asked in a hushed voice.

Annette blinked down at her, her mind going temporarily blank at the question, but she pulled her shit together quick and gave a slight nod. "Yes," she practically whispered.

Kathryn's lips pursed together, but she said nothing. Before Annette could consider what that meant too closely, Kathryn leaned in and proceed to go down on her. It wasn't hard and eager like it typically was. Instead it was slow and deliberate, but not torturous. She wanted her to get off, she just wanted to take her time with it. She teased her clit with her tongue, while her fingers slowly fucked her. Annette wasn't sure how long it lasted, but she knew when she finally came it felt like it stretched on for infinity.

They didn't stop there. The next couple of hours they fucked each other nearly unconscious until they were nothing, but a sweaty pile of sated limbs.

After, they laid in silence, wrapped around each other. Kathryn with her chin resting on Annette's breast as she teasingly ran her fingers over her lips. Annette felt as content as she ever remembered feeling.

It was Kathryn who finally broke through the silence, her tone teasing and soft as she asked, "So how many people have you given that little speech to?"

Annette rolled her eyes indulgently and smiled. "Ballpark?" When Kathryn's eyes widened, she laughed. "Come on, haven't I embarrassed myself enough for one evening? You know it's only been you."

Kathryn quietly preened, obviously pleased by the answer. "Why is that?"

She stiffened a little against her, not comfortable with the turn in conversation. "What do you mean?"

"You've never…loved anyone else? Darcy?"

She detected a slight trace of jealousy when she said her name and she'd be lying if she said it didn't give her a little thrill. "Darcy was just a fling. I liked her more than most of the people I messed around with, but that's where it ends." She hesitated a beat before confessing what she was about to. She had never told anyone this, even Trevor. "The truth of the matter is I didn't think I was capable."

Kathryn pulled back, propping herself up on her elbow so they were eye to eye. "What do you mean?"

Annette stared at her nails as she spoke. "Something my dad said to me once. He told me…he said I was some kind of psychopath, unable to feel or emphasize with anyone.

"He's an asshole," Kathryn responded, almost dismissively.

"Yeah, but the thing is, there was a kernel of truth to it. I mean it's not like I have some hidden urge to mutilate people or some shit, but I just never felt anything really. I never liked anything or anyone other than Trevor and even then, I couldn't be sure if it was just because I was _used_ to him. I certainly didn't love anything."

She glanced over at Kathryn to find her watching her, eyes wide in her small face. "Is that true?"

Annette nodded. "Then I met you and…you kind of fucked me up."

"For the better?"

She laughed. "Time will tell."

The kissed lazy and tried. The events of the day soon started to take their toll on her, and Annette could feel herself drifting off. She was somewhere between awake and unconscious when she heard it. "I love you too," Kathryn whispered against her ear.

Eyes still closed, Annette smiled into her pillow. "I heard that."

"You were meant to."


	12. The Wager

**.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Wager**

* * *

"Who died?"

Casting a brief glance over his shoulder at the bleached blond lingering in the doorway, Sebastian sourly explained, "My will to fuck."

Blaine edged further into the drawing room, coming to stand beside the loveseat Sebastian was currently sprawled across, his head hanging over the side. He was staring up at the ornately carved ceiling when Blaine's smiling mug came into view. "Come again?"

"If only I could." Heaving a sigh, Sebastian pulled himself up to a sitting position, making sure to grab the bottle of Glenfiddich as he did. He took a swig of the whiskey, his glazed eyes staring disinterestedly at the two beautiful women wrapped up in a naked pretzel in front of him. The brunette with the long hair, who he thought was named Olivia, pulled off the blonde's tit long enough to pout at him. "Sebastian why don't you join us?"

If only he could. There was nothing Sebastian would have enjoyed more in that moment than taking out all his frustrations on a nice piece of ass. Unfortunately, fate (and his libido) had decided that was not in the cards.

"Maybe some other time ladies," he grumbled, the alcohol making him slur just slightly.

Untangling herself from her friend, Olivia, kneeled down in front of him and ran her hands up his thighs. "What's wrong? Don't you like us?"

When her searching hands made their way to his soft dick, Sebastian irritably flung her off. "I'm not in the mood," he growled at her.

"Since when? Isn't Sebastian Valmont always up to _fuck_?

His inebriated state, not to mention the grating line of her questioning, combined to make him more irritable than normal. He knew this girl was only teasing and didn't mean anything by it, but suddenly she seemed to represent everything that was wrong. Setting down his bottle with a thud, he leaned in close to her, his lip already curling in a sneer. "You know what my problem is? It's girls like—"

Before he could lay into her with his nasty little speech, Blaine was suddenly ushering the two girls out. "Alright, thank you ladies, but I think Mr. Valmont is about to retire for the evening," he explained as if this was some kind of dinner party and not a high school orgy. They made a minimal fuss and he was pretty sure he heard the one call him a 'pretentious asshole' as they departed, but Sebastian was thankful for the quiet. He wished Blaine would follow suit. Apparently, he had other plans.

Closing the heavy doors of the drawing room behind him, muffling the sounds of the late 90's pop song coming from the party, Blaine turned back to him, his chipper host demeanor slipping off of him like a mask. "What the fuck Valmont? Do you have any idea whose daughter that was you're were about to insult?"

"I don't give a shit."

"Well let's just say it's a good thing I intervened when I did or you'd likely be waking up tomorrow in the east river. Jesus." Blaine stalked over the wet bar and fixed himself a drink. "What is your problem? And so help me god if this is about your cunt sister and the headmaster's daughter I'm going to shoot myself in the fucking head."

Sebastian drew a finger gun and pretended to shoot him. "Who else would it be about?"

Blaine threw his head back dramatically and groaned as if in pain, "Oh my god. You need to get over this already. So they screwed you over. So what? It happens to everyone at sometime even the great and powerful Sebastian Valmont." Plopping down on the couch opposite him he raised his glass of vodka and told him, "Welcome to the human race."

He sneered at his so called friend's lack of sympathy and spat back petulantly, "If you're so goddamn bored with me why don't you go bother someone else? Surely there's someone around better company than me. Where's your closet case? I'm sure he's just dying for some of your personal attention."

"I wouldn't count on it," Blaine muttered into his drink.

He didn't really care about Blaine's relationship woes anymore than he gave a fuck about Sebastian's. But he was curious about his sudden mood shift. Tuttle tended to keep it pretty close to the vest when it came to anything too personal. Sebastian was curious if under all that swagger and impishness, lurked something darker. Given his side hustle and the fact that he was one of the few openly gay students at Manchester, he had to think there was.

"Don't tell me, he's rediscovered the appeal of pussy and he threw you over for a cheerleader."

Tuttle's eyes narrowed at him. "Quite the opposite actually. McConnel has decided to fully embrace his love for dick and is currently upstairs getting double teamed by the Columbia swim team captain and that actor in those superhero movies. Apparently, my services were not required."

Sebastian stared at him a beat before he burst out laughing. Blaine wasn't amused. "Oh fuck off," he huffed at him. "Your sympathy is noted."

"Sorry," he replied, still giggling. "I guess he really does like to tackle the tight ends both on and off the field."

"Yeah, except I don't think he's the one doing the tackling tonight."

"Not unexpected," Sebastian quipped. "So why are you sitting hear drinking with me and not fighting for your man?"

Blaine made a distasteful face. "Because unlike you I know when to cut my losses. If Gregory wants to spread his cheeks for every stud with a letterman jacket, who am I to stand in his way?" Sebastian was impressed by his friend's ability to compartmentalize so easily and move on. He wished he had that talent.

"Forget about him, what was this about losing your will to fuck? Rather like Van Gough losing the will to paint or your sister losing the ability to make everyone around her miserable." Sebastian smiled slightly at that in spite of himself as he contemplated whether to share. "It can't be that bad," Blaine argued.

_Oh really?_

Against his better judgement, Sebastian found himself confessing the whole sordid story, how he spied on the girls in bed together and how the incident somehow rendered him impotent afterwards. As expected, rather than sympathy his tale of woe was met with laughter, which he supposed served him right.

Wiping the tears from his eyes Blaine asked, "You're telling me you can't—"

"Nope."

"And you've tried—"

"Everything. Nothing works."

Sitting up straighter, clearly seeing a new challenge on the horizon Blaine pressed, "Pharmaceuticals?"

"Blaine," he spat his name irritably, "If this could be solved with a pill don't you think I would have done that by now?" He had of course tried Viagra with Molly McNab, another one of his regulars. It had been a spectacular failure. Sebastian got hard only to lose his erection halfway through. Molly had been too stunned to mock him and too much of a sweetheart to blab about it to anyone, thank god.

"Look it sounds like this is all in your head," Blaine explained. "Watching the two of them together, you realize you're not required and it's making you feel inadequate. I'm telling you it's just a matter of getting your confidence back."

Sebastian listened to what he was saying, but he wasn't convinced. He took another swig of his whiskey and mumbled, "Maybe I'm just getting what I deserve."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean think about all the shit I've done in my life. All the women I've screwed over. I've done some horrible shit in my time, stuff you don't even know about. Maybe not getting to do the one thing in life I love the most is what I deserve."

Blaine rolled his eyes and sighed. "Valmont, people don't get what they deserve. You know that."

"You sound like Kathryn," he snickered recalling her telling him that exact same thing. "Even her…you know I used to walk around all smug, thinking I was so much better than her. Like, maybe I'm a total dick but at least I'm not _her_. But the thing is we're the same." He let out a short laugh. "Come to think of it I'm probably worse. Kathryn at least accepts what she is, embraces it even. Me, I just pretend not to see it. Well this is what I get. This is my penance."

"Jesus, when did you get so maudlin," Blaine remarked. "I think you need to sober up. This isn't you. Since when do you turn away from a fight? What about your revenge?"

He shrugged, feeling oddly serene now that he was giving up. "Fuck it. I was never going to win against them anyway. No matter what I do. I even got her to run for office and Kathryn still didn't turn against her! To hell with them."

"This is just the alcohol talking," Blaine argued. "Look the two of them are upstairs right now—"

"They're here?" Sebastian asked, sitting up suddenly a little more alert. He knew Kathryn was here, even in his fuzzy state he remembered talking with her and getting the brush off when he attempted to act human towards her. "Annette's here?"

"Yeah, she arrived a few hours ago. Beat the shit out of that television actor Kathryn was messing around with."

He bet Kathryn just swooned over that. "Of course she did." Sebastian was mildly disgusted with himself when his first response upon hearing they were here together was to go spy on them. He quickly put it out of his head. He'd seen enough for two lifetimes.

"Why don't you just go up there, snap a few pics of them and we'll spread them around school. Come Monday morning they'll be all anyone can talk about."

"Because," Sebastian argued leaning closer to him, "Kathryn will just spin it that the photos are doctored or she might get really ballsy and make everyone think her and Annette are the modern Romeo and Juliet and anyone who says a word against her is homophobic. Have you forgotten who we're dealing with Blaine? You tried to warn me, and you were right. It's not worth it going up against her. I'm fighting a losing battle. It's time I throw in the towel."

Sebastian staggered to his feet. The room seemed to stagger with him. Blaine eyed him warily. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to find a quiet corner to drink myself into oblivion. Ciao."

* * *

Kathryn couldn't sleep. Not surprising as she hadn't been able to fall asleep without the help of barbiturates since ninth grade. Even with Annette there, her mind wouldn't slow down enough to get some rest.

Annette. Annette could sleep anywhere. She was unreasonably jealous of this talent.

The truth was even if Kathryn had one of her beloved sleeping pills, she wasn't sure it would have helped any. She was feeling far to restless and keyed up at the moment. Instead, she spent the past couple hours watching Annette sleep and wondering if she made a mistake.

She didn't regret the 'I love you'. Namely because it was true. She loved Annette, of that she was certain. If ninety percent of the shit that came out of her mouth was a lie that was the one truth.

That said, she never really intended to own up to it. But then Annette had shown up and delivered her little speech and she realized, fuck, she had to give her something. If she didn't, she might start suspecting Sebastian was right about her and she really was dead inside. The funny thing was after she told her, she was filled with this amazing euphoric feeling like she just done a strong hit of ecstasy or something. However, it slowly went away when she was left with her thoughts.

What did this mean? Did Annette have some kind of expectations of her now? Did she think they were going to hold hands in the hallway and go to prom together? Kathryn could just imagine the shit show that would greet her if she attempted something like that. But no, she argued with herself, that wasn't Annette. She knew the score. Hell she had her own reputation and fucked up parent to deal with. They were in the same boat in that regard.

Kathryn realized her anxiety likely stemmed from fear. She had gone most of her life without opening up emotionally to anyone, keeping everyone at bay. Even Sebastian she wouldn't let all the way in. Could she do that with Annette? Did she want to?

_Christ, she needed a drink._

Casting one last look at Annette she leaned in and kissed her forehead, laughing quietly at herself as she did. God she was going soft. Getting up from the bed she searched for something to put on, only to find her nighty ripped and unwearable thanks to Annette. Tossing it aside she picked up Annette's robe and slipped it on and then remembering Blaine's goody bags he handed out at the door. Picking up the discarded bag she found, poppers, lube, handcuffs and sure enough, a thong. It wasn't exactly designer and god knows her pussy was used to the best, but it would do. She slipped the panties on then quietly crept from the room.

It was decidedly quieter than when she left. The thumping beat of the techno music had been switched out in favor of some bluesy, haunting, crooning. Kathryn made her way down the hallway, stopping occasionally to glance into some bedrooms to see is if she spied anything interesting. She struct pay dirt on the last bedroom. Greg McConnel was sucking off some hunky jock type while a guy who looked kind of familiar plowed him from behind. Blaine wasn't anywhere to be found. Interesting.

Kathryn headed downstairs to find people still loitering about, but it was a much difference scene now. Guests were sitting around chatting in dark corners, a few were passed out. No one was really fucking anymore. She made her way over to the bar and the cute bartender from before smiled at her and asked her what she wanted. Before she could answer a voice from behind did it for her. "Vodka on the rocks with an arsenic chaser."

She turned to see Blaine standing beside her, no longer dressed in that ridiculous robe, he was now wearing jeans and a black tank. Weird, she wouldn't have guessed he even owned a pair of jeans. Even stranger, he wasn't his usual jovial self.

"What crawled up your ass?" she asked. "Or I guess I should ask, who hasn't crawled up your ass? And why are you wearing jeans? Are you cosplaying a straight nerd or something?"

His answering smile was tight and fake as hell. "Tyler is threatening to sue me because of what your butch little girlfriend did to him."

Kathryn rolled her eyes unbothered. "He won't unless he wants his shit plastered all over TMZ."

"You're unbelievable," he remarked. It wasn't a compliment.

"Why thank you." The bartender handed her the drink then disappeared. "By the way do you realize your boy toy is upstairs getting spit roasted? Is that why you're being a colossal bitch? Honey, he's not worth it."

"Funny I said the same thing to Annette earlier about you."

Okay now she was annoyed. She was used to a certain level of bitchiness when it came to Blaine, but he was taking it too far. She didn't like the idea of him messing with Annette. "Jesus, what the fuck is your problem?"

Blaine smiled at a way that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, where to begin? How about when you ran your mouth to girlfriend about my business."

Kathryn shrugged unapologetic. "It's not my fault you babble when you're wasted. Besides it's not like she's going to run to the DEA to rat on you. Annette could care less about your business."

"It doesn't matter. I don't like people I don't trust nosing around my shit."

At this she had to laugh. "Well that's ironic given the fact that you can't seem to keep yours out of anyone else's. Like telling Sebastian about my room at the Four Season's? Fucking Judas."

"I was merely leveling the playing field," he informed her. "After all, two against one isn't really fair. Not that you ever gave a shit about playing fair."

"What business is it of your anyway?"

Turning in his seat to face her he shook his head at her like she was clueless. "I can count on one hand the number of people I actually give a shit about. For whatever reason one of them happens to be your brother. I'm sick of seeing you jerk him around."

Kathryn bristled at his hypocrisy. "Funny, you didn't seem to have a problem with it this summer. In fact, if memory serves you found it hysterical."

"It was at first, but I didn't think you would take it this far."

Now he lost her. "Take what too far? I haven't done anything to him!" she exclaimed. "He's been the one messing with me. Humiliating me in public, talking Annette into running for president, telling my mother about Court—"

"And yet you seem perfectly fine. Sebastian on the other hand…"

"What?"

Blaine stared at her a beat before getting to his feet. Kathryn grabbed her arm. "What's wrong with him."

His cool brown eyes narrowed at her. "Careful you almost sound like you give a shit."

"_Blaine_"

"He's in a real bad way"

Letting go of him Kathryn got of her stool. "Where is he?"

Blaine shook his head. "Leave him alone Kathryn. You've done enough."

"Take your own advice. Mind your fucking business Tuttle."

Having grown tired of this conversation, not to mention Blaine's bitchy attitude, she stalked off to find her beleaguered stepbrother.

Kathryn did a sweep of the main floor, only finding couple's in various stages of hooking up. At one point she came across a literal fuck pile in the ballroom and she watched in fascination for a minute, half expecting Sebastian to come crawling out of it, but he wasn't there.

Finally, she entered the billiards room, finding it seemingly empty, she turned to leave when she heard someone behind her. Kathryn whipped around in time to see Sebastian pop up from behind the bar.

"Greetings and salutations…bitch."

"Jesus," Kathryn sighed as she watched him stumble around the bar. He had managed to lose his robe and was now just in his boxer briefs. He looked total out of it. "I've been looking for you."

Sebastian spread her arms wide and grinned. "Here I am." He waved a bottle of Grey Goose at her. "Drink?"

"Sure." When he started to hand her the bottle only to snatch it back and then laugh like he just told the funniest joke. "Get your own bitch."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. As annoying as he was when he was like this, she'd take it any day over manic depressive Sebastian, which was what she had been expecting. "You know the way Blaine was talking I thought I was going to have to talk you off a ledge or something."

"Not yet," he mumbled darkly against his bottle. "Where's your little girlfriend?"

"Upstairs sleeping."

He stepped closer to her and grinned impishly. "Did you two _make love_?"

"Don't be gross," she snapped taking the bottle from him. She took a swig, wincing as it burned her throat.

"You fucked her," he practically growled snatching the bottle back, "I can smell her on you. Did she eat you out? Did you shove you fist into her pussy again?" He nudged her playfully. "Come on share."

Kathryn's gaze narrowed in suspicion. "How did you—"

"I have my ways," he sing songed, brushing past her.

_Fantastic_. She made a mental note to do a sweep for bugs the next time they visited the hotel room. "So, what brought on this latest bought of self-pity?"

"Like you give a shit," he snarled back with surprising venom as he whirled around to face her. "Why are you even here Kathryn? What do you want?"

Both excellent questions. She wasn't all together sure of the answers. When it came to her stepbrother, she never seemed able to do the smart thing and stay away. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't…going to do something stupid like down a bottle of pills and a vodka chaser."

"Fresh out of pills, better luck next time."

Growing increasingly annoyed by his surly attitude she started to leave, but he tugged on her arm. "Going so soon?"

As he pulled her towards him he stumbled into her arms. Kathryn steadied him, nearly falling over in the process. "Christ," she huffed in agitation, one hand gripping his arm, the other pressed against his bare chest. "You're a mess."

"Why thank you," he slurred, obviously enjoying invading her personal space.

She tried to step back, only for him to fall against her. She groaned. "Tell me why I shouldn't just let you pass out right here?"

"Cause it would hurt?"

"You were a complete dick tonight."

He tugged on a strand of her hair. "I'm a complete dick every night."

Grabbing him by the chin she forced, his gaze on her. "You shouldn't have told mother about Court or the election."

"You shouldn't have brought that blonde bitch over."

"Don't talk about her like that," she snapped, letting go of him.

"My apologies." Sebastian tried to stand on his own only to fall against her again forcing Kathryn to wrap an arm around him to keep him upright. It occurred to her how tight they were pressed against each other with very little clothing between them. He must have realized it as well, as she could feel his dick against her. Hard and hot and tempting. Sebastian glanced down and muttered, "Well that fucking figures doesn't it."

"You should go take care of that."

He cocked a brow, still somehow able to look roguishly charming even when shit faced. "Are you propositioning me sis?"

"Dream on," she huffed. Kathryn tried to untangle herself from him, but he just slumped against her even more. She sighed. "We can't do this all night."

"Speak for yourself," he told her his gaze falling to her chest. Kathryn's robe had all but come undone leaving her tits on display. Sebastian leered at her like he'd never seen breasts before. "Shit. You're perfect."

She knew he was drunk and this meant nothing, less than nothing, but that stupid part of her that still coveted him, warmed at the compliment. Almost immediately she felt a stab of guilt. For Kathryn, who was always used to doing whatever she wanted, whenever the mood struck her, this was an odd sensation. One she wasn't all together comfortable with. Even still she told him, "I have to get back upstairs. Annette is probably awake by now."

"Mmm, she thinks she knows you better than me." Sebastian's hand came out and groped her breast. It was both a familiar sensation and a foreign one. Everything between them had always been strictly over the clothes. Kathryn didn't comment on it or acknowledge it at all. She did what she always did when he was like this, she sealed herself against it, didn't feel it, didn't give in. Instead she concentrated on his mangled words. "Does she know you better?"

"In some ways." Kathryn swallowed a gasp when his thumb teased her nipple. It was now standing taunt and at attention, ready to be played with. Traitorous nipples.

"Maybe I should catch up."

She realized what he was about to do and quickly headed him off at the pass, giving him a gentle push away as he leaned in to kiss her. Sebastian stumbled a little but found his footing. Kathryn used the opportunity to fix her robe. "We aren't doing this."

She turned around only for him to pull her back. "Don't go," he begged, startling her with how desperate he sounded. "Please don't…I can't…"

Kathryn pressed her hands to his chest to steady him again. "Sebastian…" she sighed, torn between exasperation and genuine concern. She had never seen him like this before, even when wasted. "We can't do this all night."

"Yes, we can," he argued, sounding like a little kid, "It can be just like before, when we'd stay up all night, just me and you, just like before."

That felt like a lifetime ago. She shook her head. "She's waiting."

"Fuck her," he replied, but there was little bite to his words. "Stay with me." Sebastian pressed his forehead against hers. Kathryn could all but taste the alcohol on his breath. "When did this get so fucked up?"

"It's always been fucked up," she whispered. They had always been fucked up.

"I miss you," he mumbled.

She smiled and reminded him, "You hate me."

"I can still miss you and you miss me too." When she didn't reply, he tugged at her robe. "You might as well admit it. Not like I'm going to remember this."

Kathryn laughed a little in spite of herself and gave a brief nod. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded as he nuzzled his nose against her, then tilted his head. He was going to attempt to kiss her again, she knew it. She needed to stop him, her brain screamed at her. _End it, end it now!_

But there was that other part of her. The part that liked to play on the edge. The part that had always lusted after this. The part that had always been curious…

Just one kiss couldn't hurt right?

Sebastian's lips were just brushing hers when she heard it, the tell tale click of the door. Immediately Kathryn pulled back from her stepbrother and whirled around just as Annette appeared in the doorway. From across the room she could see the curiosity in her big blue eyes. "Here you are. Been looking everywhere for you. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure," Kathryn replied, trying to keep her tone neutral. She started for the door only to stop herself when she remembered Sebastian. She knew Annette wouldn't like it, but she couldn't just leave him there. "Why don't you come home with us," she murmured quietly to him.

Sebastian, who had been staring over at Annette, looked back at her and shook his head. "I think I'm going to stay."

She was hesitant to leave him there, fearing he might do something stupid, but she couldn't very well make him leave. She suspected after finding them together in only their underwear, Annette was likely to have a few questions as it was. "Promise me you won't drive home," she ordered him.

He nodded, slumping down against a chair arm. He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I promise _sis_."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at him. "Night"

"Goodnight"

She reluctantly turned away and followed Annette out of the room. Kathryn noticed she was wearing the dress from earlier that night. "You okay?"

Kathryn nodded, "Yeah I'm fine. Let's go." Then suddenly overcome with the need to tether herself to her somehow, Kathryn reached out and took by the hand.

Annette turned back and glanced at their entangled hands, surprise briefly flickering in her face, but she said nothing as she led her out of the house. The climbed into Annette's father's Volvo and said almost nothing until they were half way home. Of course it was Annette who spoke first.

"So, what happened tonight?"

Kathryn played dumb. "What do you mean?"

Annette gave her a side long look. Never bullshit a bullshitter. "What do you think I mean? Whatever it is I walked in on between you and your brother. Seemed kind of intense."

"It was nothing," she sighed. "He's just all fucked up. I think…I think we may have taken things too far with him."

"Really?" Annette asked not sounding at all convinced. "Seemed like the same asshole to me."

Remembering how pathetic he looked earlier, how desperate his voice had been she admitted, "I've never seen him like this before. It's like he's broken or something."

"Has it occurred to you, he might be playing you?"

Of course it had, she wasn't an idiot, but she also knew Sebastian, knew him to his core. This wasn't an act. "I don't think so." As they drove in silence Kathryn suddenly made a decision. "We need to leave him alone."

Annette looked over at her, headlights from a nearby car illuminating her face. She wasn't pleased. "I wasn't aware we were the ones messing with him." She sighed. "Kathryn, I get you're feeling guilty—"

"I am not," she argued.

"Okay," she replied drawing out the syllables. "Need I remind you he's the one swearing revenge. You just want to role over and let him do what he wants to us? That sounds real productive."

"Of course not," Kathryn snapped. "Look, I'll handle him okay?"

"I thought we were in this together?"

"We are," she insisted. "It's just…let me handle this, please?"

They both knew she didn't ask for anything. She took. Annette looked over at her, her inscrutable gaze searching her face. Kathryn suspected she was pissed, but she was playing it cool. Unfastening her seatbelt, she scooted over to her and kissed her neck. Annette squirmed, but she could see a smile ghost her lips. "I'm driving," she told her sternly.

Kathryn kissed down her neck and whispered, "Do this for me. Just let this go?"

The blonde let out a long sigh. "Fine…just so long as you promise me you're not still hung up on him."

"Of course not."

She looked down at her and gave a slight nod. "Then you win. From here on out Sebastian Valmont no longer exists."

* * *

_A nightmare is fed before it is born._

Sebastian woke up knowing what he needed to do.

For whatever reason his mind was always at its sharpest first thing in the morning, even on those days when he was suffering from a massive hangover as was the case that morning. His head felt as if there was a croquet tournament being played against his skull and he could barely get his eyes open, but he knew for certain what he had to do.

He knew how to take down the girls.

When he thought about it, he was rather embarrassed it took him this long to figure it out. The answer had been there all along. The events of the previous night just brought it all into focus.

The truth was Sebastian didn't remember everything that happened the previous night, not all at once anyway. He recalled bits and fragments. Most of it cringe worthy. But in a way it had been worth it because he learned two important things: One, thanks to his stepsister and her impressive rack, he could still get it up and two Kathryn's humanity wasn't as repressed as he initially suspected it was. Both of these points would go a long way in aiding his plan.

After he picked himself up from the floor of the billiards room and chugged down some coffee, Sebastian drove himself home. The near hour long drive was enough to start putting together his plan, while bits and pieces of last night came back to him. It was humiliating for the most part (he was pretty sure he begged Kathryn to stay with him at one point) but one single image was burned into his brain. Annette, standing in the doorway, gazing at him with hate and suspicion when Kathryn had her back to her. The bitch was jealous. Painfully, angrily jealous. Couple that with the fact that Kathryn couldn't be trusted and it would make an explosive combination. Sebastian would just have to light the match.

When he arrived home, he found the house blessedly quiet. He took a shower then crashed. He awoke later when he heard his bedroom door creak open followed by the echo of Louboutin's on hard wood. He knew who it was of course without opening his eyes.

Sebastian faked sleep as he listened to his stepsister stroll about his room before taking a seat on the bed. The smell of her Chanel invaded his senses making it impossible to carry out his rouse much longer. After a few minutes he rolled over to find her sitting, still as a statue dressed in a dark maroon fitted dress, gazing out the window. Her head turned when she saw he was awake. "Afternoon," Kathryn greeted him her tone, like her expression blank.

"Afternoon," he parroted back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I see you still don't believe in knocking."

"Where's the fun in that?" She didn't bring up the fact that neither of them respected personal space.

"What are you doing here?"

She shifted on the bed, her back still stiff and unyielding. There would be no climbing into his lap today. "I came to make sure you weren't choking on your own vomit." Kathryn reached out like she was going to touch his face only to brush some imaginary lint from his pillow. She was trying to restrain herself. _Interesting_.

"No such luck," he drawled curling up against his pillow. He wanted to ask her why she was really there but thought better of it and went for a more mercenary tactic. "What happened last night?"

Kathryn blinked at him. Sebastian wondered if she was pleased by his lie or disappointed. It was impossible to tell. Her face gave nothing away. "Not much," she replied airily. "You fumbled around and made an ass of yourself. Business as usual."

"Hmm," he hummed.

She stared at him a beat, clearly trying to read him, but Sebastian was just as good at this game as she was. After a minute she got up, straightening her dress. "Well, I have to be going. I'm having brunch with mother," she sighed, clearly not looking forward to it. "A whole afternoon of her ripping me apart. I'm sure you're sorry you'll miss it."

Sebastian smiled faintly. As she turned to leave he reached out and grabbed her hand. Kathryn looked back at him, both suspicious and curious. "Don't let her get to you," he told her, his gaze boring into hers.

Kathryn gave a slight nod and let go of his hand before making her exit. Watching her Sebastian slumped back into bed and grinned. Once upon a time his stepsister had mind fucked him into losing (what he thought at the time) was the best thing in his life. He was about to return the favor.

See he had realized he had been going about this all wrong. He had thought he could destroy the girls by playing the puppet master, just as Kathryn had always done. Play from behind the scenes and don't get your hands dirty. But that wasn't where Sebastian excelled. He didn't like controlling things from the sidelines. He wanted in on the action. If he wanted to bring Kathryn and Annette down, he would have to insert himself into the equation.

The game wasn't over. It hadn't even begun.

* * *

"How does this look Annette?"

Standing back Annette examined the campaign poster with a critical eye. "A little to the left. Perfect."

Her new minion, a strawberry blonde named Sophia, offered up a broad smile at the compliment. Sophia was smart. Honor roll all three years, early acceptance to Harvard, and Annette's debate team co-captain. Unfortunately, her smarts didn't extend outside the school room and she was woefully naïve when it came to personal politics. She honestly believed befriending the headmaster's daughter would somehow give her an extra leg up academically. As if Annette had any power in that regard. Whatever, she was loyal and followed directions, that was all she needed her for.

"These posters are fabulous," Siobhan, her self-appointed campaign manager pipped in. "_Much_ more tasteful than Kathryn's."

Annette's lips pursed at the remark as she considered Siobhan. She wondered if she had made a mistake there. She had courted the younger girl as a friend when she saw how popular she was even among the seniors. The only child of a music industry legend and a 90's supermodel, and she was stunning, with her coco colored skin, high cheekbones and blinding smile. She was also smart, outspoken and extremely confident. The only reason she wasn't on team Kathryn was on account of some petty slight, Kathryn didn't invite her to a party or some such shit. Annette had been pleased when Siobhan offered herself up as a campaign manager, but she was now beginning to worry she was more interested in taking Kathryn down than ensuring her victory.

As stupid as it sounded, Annette had no desire to turn this into a dirty race. Perhaps she was the naïve one thinking they could keep it clean, but she had no intentions of destroying Kathryn. She just wanted to win the race so she could go to Yale and she intended on doing that with as limited drama as possible.

"I rather like Kathryn's posters," Annette replied, causing both girls to turn and regard her with surprise. She looked across the hall where one of the Merteuil campaign posters was on display with Kathryn's face just in case anyone forgot how beautiful she was. Recalling their weekend together, she gazed at her picture with perhaps a tad too much longing. "I think they're elegant."

"Me too!" Sophia agreed, ever the ass kisser.

"Well I think they're tacky," Siobhan objected, coming to stand beside Annette. "Who the hell puts their face on a campaign poster anymore? Not to mention that fake ass smile of hers."

"I don't think it's fake," Annette offered up.

"Of course it is," she argued, "Ask around."

Oh, she had. Annette wasn't an idiot. She was brand new to Manchester and Kathryn was practically an institution. She knew running against her would be difficult, maybe even impossible which was why she did her research to find out if everyone really did love her. Turns out not so much. Oh, she was definitely beloved by a majority of the students, but it turned out there was a small, albeit quiet group of individuals who didn't buy into her act. Annette knew if she wanted to win she'd likely have to exploit that minority. But if she didn't want to lose Kathryn in the process, she was going to have to do it tactfully. She wasn't sure Siobhan was up for the job.

"Look Kathryn is my friend," she gently told her. "I have no interest in tarring her down. I want this to be a clean race Shiv."

The taller girl narrowed her brow at her clearly not impressed by her diplomacy. "Well that's all very well and good Annette, but do you honestly think Kathryn gives a shit about a clean race? Do you think she's not plotting how to destroy you as we speak?"

The truth was Annette had no idea. Ever since finding out she through her hat in the race the two had carefully avoided the subject. But after witnessing how her mother reacted to the possibility that her daughter might not win, Annette suspected Siobhan wasn't terribly off in her suspicions.

Before she could raise an objections, Shiv continued on with her monologue. "I get that you're new here and you actually think all that crap Kathryn spews is her truth, but she's full of shit. If you want to win this election, you're going to have to take her down. Now I can help you win, but if you want me to do my job you have to be willing to play ball, otherwise, why are you even running?"

"I'm curious about that myself," chimed in a familiar drawl from across the hallway.

Annette had to stop herself from rolling her eyes when she looked over and found Sebastian lounging on the windowsill, looking far sexier than he even had a right to seeing as how he probably just rolled out of bed. His tie was loose around his neck and he was wearing his signature sunglasses. Annette wouldn't be surprised if he was still hungover.

The other two girls whirled around at his presence. Sophie blushed and Siobhan looked like she wanted to put a fist through his face. Gee I wonder which one he fucked and ditched.

"Fuck off Valmont," Shiv told him with a dismissive wave of her hand as she turned her back on him. "We're in the middle of a campaign strategy."

"Well I just wanted to come and introduce myself to the competition," Sebastian purred, hoping off the windowsill, pausing to eye up Sophie as he crossed the hall. Snapping off his glasses, he extended his hand to Annette. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Sebastian Valmont."

Annette wasn't sure what game he was playing at, acting as if they'd never met but she played along. As far as she knew, outside of the scene he made at the Manchester benefit, no one knew they were acquaintances. So she played along. Smiling easily she shook his hand, "Annette Hargrove. Your Kathryn's brother, right?"

Amusement flickered in his eyes as he corrected, "_Stepbrother_ actually. I've heard a lot about you."

He was still holding her hand, just like on their first meeting. Annette tugged out of his grip. "Funny, I haven't heard much about you."

"I'd like to remedy that," he replied with a lascivious grin.

"Valmont, nobody's interested in your fuck boy nonsense," Siobhan interjected, "Don't you have an STD to spread around or something?"

"Don't you have a dick you could be sucking?" he countered.

"Yeah, two actually and both of them are vast improvements over what you got going on in your Calvin Klein's."

Okay perhaps she underestimated the awesomeness of Siobhan after all.

Sebastian glared mutinously at her, before turning back to Annette. "Ms. Hargrove can I have a word with you?" He glanced at the other two girls adding, "In private."

"Fuck off," Shiv huffed. "I'm not leaving her alone with you."

"I'm fine Shiv," she assured her with an easy smile. Sebastian took the opportunity to sling an arm around her shoulder.

She looked like she wanted to object but Sophie took her arm and tugged her away. "We'll see you later Annette."

Rolling her eyes Siobhan reluctantly allowed her to lead her way calling out, "Don't say I didn't warn you girl."

As they watched them disappear around the corner, Sebastian remarked, "Such a nice girl."

Rolling her eyes Annette shrugged his arm off, "With clearly excellent taste."

"She has a real hate on for your girlfriend."

"I'm aware. I don't suppose you know why?"

He shrugged, "She wore the same dress as Kathryn to homecoming so Kathryn spread a rumor about her fucking the previous headmaster—which I think was true. High school girls are such petty monsters."

"Yes, unlike high school boys and their noble intentions. Speaking of which, what did _you_ do to her?"

"Nothing," he replied defensively. "We saw each other a few times and then she freaked out when she found out I fucked her sister…and her mom."

Annette's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Gross. Sorry I asked." Sebastian shrugged unapologetically. Growing increasingly annoyed with him she demanded, "Sebastian what do you want?"

"Just curious to see how the campaign is progressing." He strolled over to the poster of Kathryn. Pulling out a pen from his jacket he proceeded to draw a little Hitler mustache on her, followed by two devil horns. "You know Siobhan had a point. Kathryn isn't going to let this be a fair fight. You two may be scissor buddies now, but if you stand in the way of what she wants she'll rip you apart. If you want to win this thing you're going to have to be just as ruthless as she is."

"You'd love that wouldn't you, to see us tare each other down. Well it's not going to happen."

Turning back around, he grinned at her. "It would be highly amusing I must admit."

Annette considered him a moment, remembering the promise she made to Kathryn that they would back of him. She honestly didn't understand how someone as worldly as Kathryn Merteuil would be so obtuse when it came to her stepbrother. Did he really have such a hold on her?

Stepping closer to him she went in for the kill. "I am curious about something. This weekend, that whole sad, drunk depression bit you pulled, it was an act wasn't it?" Sebastian didn't reply but there was a faint smile on his face. Annette shook her head in disgust. "That's what I thought. Poor pathetic Sebastian can't handle being picked on any longer, what a crock. You should be happy to know she bought it though. She actually made me promise to stay away from you."

Staring off at nothing, he grinned. "Well isn't she full of surprises."

"Yeah, she's not the only one." Shoving the scissors in her hand against his chest she hissed menacingly at him. "I know I made her a promise, but as you're well aware I'm shit at keeping promises so listen up asshole. If you hurt her in any way I will fucking bury you. I will make what we did to you this summer look like a fucking pleasure cruise. Understand?"

Sebastian grimaced as she pressed the blade into him and gritted out, "I got it."

Thinking the subject close, Annette turned on her heel and started down the hall when he called out. "On the contrary, I have no interest in _hurting_ Kathryn."

Despite the voice, screaming in her head to move along, Annette stopped and spun back around, eying him suspiciously. "Oh?"

"Yes, you see I realized something this weekend," he explained, strolling up to her. "Kathryn and I belong together."

Annette was so stunned by the admission she just stared at him a moment, wondering if she actually understood what he was telling her. Then she laughed. _"Excuse me?"_ she exclaimed.

"Go ahead, laugh, I agree it's patently ridiculous after everything we've done to each other, but it's true. Kathryn may be a manipulative shrew most of the time, but she's also brilliant and sexy as hell and she understands me. You know come to think of it, I actually have you to thank for this little revelation. After this summer I thought Kathryn was incapable of being human but seeing her with you I know now she's more than capable. After this weekend I realized that bond between us was never broken, it was just untied."

The laughter died out when she realized he was being serious, but that didn't mean he was being truthful. Annette immediately smelled something foul in the air. This was a game she knew it.

"What are you playing at? You honestly expect me to believe you're suddenly infatuated with her again, because you what, had some bullshit drunk discussion?"

Sebastian stepped closer to her, a lascivious smirk on his face. "Oh, we did a little more than that." Annette went still and he moved in closer, playing with a strand of her hair and explained. "Come on, you walked in on us half dressed with our arms around each other. Do you honestly think we were just _talking_?" When she didn't reply he laughed. "You did, didn't you? How cute."

Annette flicked his hand away. The rich superciliousness of his tone was grating on her nerves. She couldn't think. This was too much to process at once. Had Kathryn cheated on her or was he just fucking with her head?

Refusing to lose her cool she told him confidently, "It doesn't matter. Whatever you think happened between the two of you, it means nothing. I'm the one she's in love with, you on the other hand are just her used toy she feels _pity_ for."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself _farm girl_," he snapped. "But I think you know deep down inside that the two of you don't stand a chance. It's only a matter of time before Kathryn outgrows this infatuation and if her mother or your father don't snuff it out, this election sure will. Face it, you're both too ruthlessly ambitious to come out of this unscathed and when the smoke clears this relationship of yours with be just another casualty. So consider it a favor from me that I'm taking her away before that happens."

As much as she would have liked to punch him in his smug face at the at moment (so much so that she had to shove her hand in her pocket to keep from doing so) a small part of her suspected he was right. As much as she loved Kathryn, their relationship always felt tenuous, like just the slightest nudge could break them. Knowing the stepsiblings history together, she realized Sebastian was a hell of a lot more than a nudge. More like a goddamn tornado. If he chose to offer himself up as an option to Kathryn she wondered if she even stood a chance.

Even though her head was swimming with doubts, she sure as hell wasn't about to allow him to see that. Pulling her shit together she told him with an air of confidence she definitely didn't feel, "Valmont, you're not taking anything from me, certainly not Kathryn. And even if by chance we do break up, there's no fucking way she'll ever go back to whatever it is you think you two had together."

Needing to put as much distance as she could between them as she could, Annette turned to leave. Once again Sebastian stopped her in her tracks when he called out, "Care to make a wager on that?"

Annette swung back around and let out a short laugh at the audacity of the question. "You got to be fucking kidding me."

He shrugged, "I'm totally serious. Come on Hargrove, you're so confident she doesn't want me, why not put your money where your mouth is. I bet you I can get her into bed by the end of the election."

She shook her head at him like he was completely delusional. "Sebastian in all the years you've known her you haven't gotten so much as a hand job from her. What makes you think she'll just suddenly decide to fuck you?"

"Well, I could make the obvious joke about her missing cock, but I'm not that much of a Neanderthal." Annette scoffed at this, but he ignored her continuing, "I think you know the answer to that. The truth is both of us were afraid to cross that boundary because we were scared it would change our relationship. After this summer however what's there to lose? We've done the mortal enemies thing. Besides we both know she's curious."

That was certainly true as Annette flashed back to that day in Kathryn's bedroom when she got her to admit she wanted to fuck him. All the reason then not to enter into any stupid wager with him.

"Fuck off Sebastian. I'm not interested."

Strutting past him Annette headed out into the empty courtyard where the sun was shining brightly, contrasting with her aggressively dark mood. She hoped Sebastian would get the hint and leave her the fuck alone or at the very least someone would happen out and distract him, but no such luck. The fucker followed after her calling, "Don't you want to hear the terms?"

"Jesus," she huffed looking upwards, "Give it up, I'm not interested."

Ignoring her he explained, his words clipped and precise, "Something tells me you'll change you're tune when you hear what I'm offering up. If you're right and Kathryn rejects me, I'll fund your college education. Whether it be at Yale, Harvard or Kansas City Community College. A full ride. Consider it the Valmont scholarship fund."

Annette tried to appear indifferent to the proposal, but failed miserably. "Are you serious?"

"Of course and you should know, unlike my dear sister, I don't welch on my bets. I'll pay for everything, including room and board." Circling around her he took a seat on one of the stone tables that littered the courtyard and pulled out a cigarette. "Just think of it, finally out from under daddy's thumb, not to mention you can drop out of this stupid election. I imagine Kathryn will be very grateful."

Normally Annette didn't believe in charity. She had no interest in taking any money from anyone she didn't earn. But if she won it, well that was another story all together. It was tempting as hell, but she didn't trust Sebastian as far as she could throw him.

"And what would you get if you won?"

Sebastian grinned, clearly pleased at what he was about to reveal. Pushing off the table he strode up to her, one hand in his pocket the other holding his cigarette and gave her a look that could only be described as predatory. Suddenly she knew what he wanted even before he said it.

"If I win, I get you in my bed for one night."

Annette shook her head, unimpressed. "How very original. But I thought you were in love with Kathryn?"

"This isn't about love, it's about fucking. I had you once and physically speaking you're right, it was mediocre. So, I'd like to have a second chance. Call it a matter of pride. According to my sister you're…how did she describe it? Very enthusiastic in bed. I'm curious to experience that for myself."

"I'd rather set my vagina on fire thanks," she replied dryly.

"Oh, come on. Let me show you what I can really do," he murmured as he traced a finger up her skirt.

Annette immediately swatted his hand away. "You're disgusting."

"And you're intrigued admit it."

He was right she was. Not about the sex of course, that was one buffet she had no interest in getting second helpings of. But the scholarship, that was another story. It would literally solve all her problems. Yale, no Kansas and Kathryn. Plus, she'd get to witness the added bonus of seeing Sebastian defeated. It was everything she always wanted.

And all she'd have to do is betray Kathryn in the process.

"No way," she decided with a defiant shake of her head. "Unlike you I actually care about her. I'm not turning her into a pawn in some twisted game."

He flicked his cigarette away. "Ever the loyal little cunt lapper. But let me remind you of something. Kathryn had no problem turning _you_ into a pawn when she made that bet with me."

"That was different. She told me about it." Thinking it over Annette thought of something. "Which begs the question Valmont. What's to stop me from going to Kathryn right now and telling her all about this?"

She shrugged, indifferent. "You could of course, but you won't."

"Oh, why's that?"

He stepped closer to her invading her personal space. His dark gaze burned into hers as he revealed, "Because if you do that, you'll never find out the truth. That's what you want, isn't it, to know if she really loves you enough to stay away from me? Well this is your way to find out. If I'm wrong, you get a free ride to college and the girl of your dreams and if I'm right well, then you'll know the truth and you can take what you want with a clear conscious. Either way you win."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She did want to know, more than anything, if Kathryn was still hung up on his for good. If given the chance would she betray her? Sebastian was wrong in one regard however. There would be no easy victory. Either he won and she was fucked or she won, but she'd have to carry around the knowledge of what she put her through just to earn the truth. Annette didn't think it was worth it.

She was about to tell him what he could do with his fucking wager when the bell suddenly sounded. Seconds later students started pouring into the courtyard. Sebastian leaned into her, brushing the hair from her ear and murmured, "Think it over."

She shoved him away. "Not interested."

Sebastian didn't look surprised as he slipped his sunglasses on. "Dumb move. I'm going to take your girl either way. At least you could have tried to make some money out of it. Oh well."

He sauntered off without a backwards glance leaving Annette to glare after him. Watching him disappeared back into the building she wondered if she had made a mistake turning him down. It wasn't so much the scholarship money that was eating at her, but the idea of finding out for sure if Kathryn was really over the fucker yet.

_Yes, you made the right choice, the smart choice. If Kathryn ever found out you made a wager with the devil and turned her into a pawn in the process she'd never forgive you. It's not worth the gamble._

Annette repeated this to herself throughout fifth and sixth period and yet she couldn't shake the idea from her head. She barely paid attention in her physics or American History class, instead she kept replaying each incendiary incident she'd witnessed between the stepsiblings. She mentally dissected everything searching for some clue she might have missed, but all she did was go in circles.

She knew she had to let this go. All she could do was trust that Kathryn loved her and that would be enough.

_I think you know deep down inside that the two of you don't stand a chance. It's only a matter of time before Kathryn outgrows this infatuation and she comes back to me._

Ugh!

Annette tried to put it out of her mind. For the next two periods she was mostly successful. Then she went to lunch.

Ever since school started Annette always ate lunch with Kathryn on Monday's and Fridays alone in her student body president office. That afternoon though she went out to the courtyard, where most of the senior kids gathered for lunch when it was warm, to find Kathryn already in deep discussion with the three minions who were running her campaign. Annette paused. Usually Kathryn met her before her last class and they'd go to lunch together, but she hadn't been there today. Apparently, she had forgotten or it had been a purposeful slight. Before she could consider joining them, Shiv suddenly appeared at her side. "Hey girl, we're waiting over here," she said already guiding her to a table filled with her new 'friends'.

The topic dujour had been her conversation with Sebastian. Everyone, including Siobhan was dying to find out what he said to her. For a second Annette imagined telling them the truth. She could just imagine how wide their eyes would get. But of course she restrained herself instead making up some shit about Sebastian wanting to take her to homecoming. Siobhan of course was very against it and then proceeded to go into agonizing detail about what Sebastian did to her.

Annette mostly tuned her out as she was mostly preoccupied with getting Kathryn's attention. The brunette didn't even seem to notice. _Look at me, dammit, I'm losing my mind here_.

Sophie and Shiv started to pepper her with questions about her campaign speech and it was a welcome distraction. Then her phone buzzed signaling a text.

_**Your tits look nice in that shirt.**_

Looking across the courtyard she noticed Kathryn watching her, finally. They made eye contact and the brunette smirked knowingly at her. Annette's heart soared. She texted back one word.

_**Slut**_

She watched as Kathryn gave her phone a passing glance as she talked with her favorite minion. Meanwhile her hands discreetly typed into her phone.

_**Meet me in the west wing janitors closet in twenty **_

Annette was filled with a sense of relief as if an elephant just lifted off her chest. It was fine. Nothing was going to change. All her stupid insecurities were only in her head.

Of course it only took a minute for the other shoe to drop.

Annette was discussing her Lit midterm with some brunette whose name escaped her, when she noticed out of the corner of her eye, Sebastian suddenly appeared at Kathryn's table. He took a seat next to his stepsister. She half expected her to give him the brush off or at least appeared annoyed by his presence. Instead she turned away from her minions and gave him her full attention. Annette watched transfixed as they chatted, both wearing matching sly grins. At one point, Sebastian leaned in and murmured something in her ear that made her laugh. Kathryn almost never laughed in public.

_What in the actual fuck?_

Was she really just sitting there flirting with him? Of course Annette was the only one who saw it as such. To anyone else they were just siblings having a friendly chat. As if.

Annette's fury mounted as she watched them out of the corner of her eye the whole lunch period. Finally, when the bell rang, she sprang up from her seat, keeping an eye on Kathryn. She kept waiting for her to look over and acknowledge her, but she didn't. She was too busy following Sebastian back into the building. She was tempted to follow after them but instead she headed to their prearranged destination telling herself Kathryn would be there. She wouldn't blow her off.

As it turned out she was very wrong.

For twenty minutes she waited for Merteuil to make her entrance but nothing. Finally, the stench of chemicals became too much and Annette and she crept out of the closet feeling like a total loser. She couldn't believe Kathryn had blown her off. She pulled out a phone to text her but stopped. Fuck this. She was done acting like the poor pathetic girlfriend, clinging for scraps and hoping she was wasn't being cheated on. She wasn't that girl, had never been that girl and she wasn't about to start now. It was time she got her balls back.

With a determined glint in her eye, Annette marched down the hallway back to the east wing where second to last period was about to begin. She paid no mind to the ringing bell or the couple of students trying to get her attention in the hall. Instead she made a bee line to the back lockers where Sebastian was standing.

Storming up to him, she slammed his locker shut getting his attention. Sebastian cocked a brow at her sudden appearance and drawled, "Can I help you?"

"About that little wager of yours…count me in."

He regarded her with surprise and if she wasn't mistaken, approval. "If I might ask, what changed your mind? I thought you didn't want to—"

"Fuck it," she cut him off. "Why should you two assholes get to have all the fun?"

Sebastian smiled. "Well aren't you full of surprises."

"You have no idea."


	13. The Election

**Chapter 12: The Election**

* * *

"This is incredibly stupid."

Ignoring Annette's clearly halfhearted attempt to rebuff her advances, Kathryn's mouth continued its slow descent down her neck. She had her pressed up against the wooden frame of a house that the drama club was in the middle of constructing for their latest production of _Oklahoma!_ She dearly hoped the paint had time to dry before they made out against it.

Reaching around she cupped the blonde's luscious ass with one hand while the other found its way underneath her shirt. Normally, she liked to toy with her prey a little before devouring them, but having been denied access to Annette the past few days had made her reckless and eager. Two qualities Kathryn took great strides to avoid at all costs.

Her greedy fingers eagerly groped at her breast, like a horny middle schooler getting to feel up a girl for the first time. Kathryn vaguely wondered if she was wearing that white lace bra with the little pink bow, the one she once remarked made her look like a virginal schoolgirl. She decided she probably was. All of her lingerie was deceptively innocent. Little tease.

Annette gasped softly against her ear and shuddered while her hips bucked against her, seeking out some kind of friction. Kathryn grinned against the soft skin of her neck before teasingly giving it a little nip. Annette whimpered but continued her argument. "_Seriously_, this is stupid."

"_Seriously_, don't be a pussy."

Annette jerked her back by the hair. "Don't be a bitch."

"Too late." Kathryn tugged her forward until their mouth's met. She kissed her fiercely, cutting off any other arguments she wished to make. This time she was met with no resistance as Annette finally gave in, kissing her back with equal hunger. Cupping her face, she tilted her head back and slid her tongue possessively into her mouth. She smiled triumphantly against her lips.

Kathryn was momentarily started by the sound of muffled applause erupting behind them. They were currently minutes away from going out on stage to deliver their first campaign speeches. From the other side of the curtain Kathryn could hear the headmaster droning on about the importance of student government or some such shit. Excitement and anticipation gathered in her chest. Her victory that afternoon was all but assured. She could practically taste it.

But first she wanted to taste something else.

Shoving her hand up her skirt, Kathryn gravitated towards the heat emanating from between her legs. Before she could make contact however, Annette abruptly pushed her away. "That's enough."

She was smiling but Kathryn could see a flash of irritation in her expression. Something that felt an awful lot like dread squeezed tauntingly around her throat as she processed this rejection. _She's going to leave her. Just like Court. Just like everyone else. Maybe not today, but soon. _

Watching as the blond fixed her white blouse, Kathryn remarked, "You're still mad about the other day."

Annette shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Ever since she missed their meet up in utility closet a few days ago, thanks to an overeager teacher, Annette had been giving her the brush off. She claimed it was on account of her father's short leash, but Kathryn suspected otherwise. The vaguely resentful look in her eyes seemed to confirm it.

"I told you I was with Mrs. Ryan. The old bat insisted on discussing her daughter's application to the Whitney committee. She held me hostage for nearly a fucking hour. I wasn't with—"

"I know you weren't," she cut her off. "It's okay."

Clearly it wasn't and clearly, she didn't believe her. Kathryn was starting to suspect she made a mistake when she asked Annette to lay off her stepbrother for a little while. Obviously, she took it to mean Kathryn was really harboring some kind of romantic attachment to him which, frankly, couldn't be further from the truth. She _pitied_ Sebastian. She didn't want to bone him.

When Kathryn explained this to her, Annette regarded her with skepticism. "You two can't manage to stand in a room without eyefucking one another. What changed?"

"What do you think?" she asked like it was obvious which it fucking should be. Did she really think she just went around telling people she loved them?

Lips pursed Annette silently observed her, as if she were trying to determine if she was full of shit or not. Sensing her guard was being lowered, she edged closer to her, taking her hand. Winding her fingers around hers she asked, "What's this really about?"

"Has he been acting different around you at all? Nicer or I don't know…seductive?"

Kathryn's brow furrowed at the question. "No. Honestly I've barely seen him. Why?"

Annette brought their entwined hands to her lips and kissed her fingers before releasing her. Turning around to peak at the empty shadows she remarked far to casually, "He might have mentioned something about how you two belong together."

"_What_?"

She turned around, her eyes zeroing in on her face as if she was trying to detect a certain reaction. "Sebastian wants you back or whatever it was you two were to each other before I came into the picture. He seems pretty confident he'll succeed to."

"I'm sure he does," Kathryn remarked. So that was his game. He was going to try to drive them apart by inserting himself into the equation. Honestly, she was surprised it took him this long to get around to it. He knew he had no hope with Annette, but she was a different story. After the events of the previous weekend he probably thought he was halfway home. _Think again dickhead._

"I guess what I'm really asking is, am I about to get fucked here? Look, I know what you feel for him or felt for him. That doesn't just go away, so I'd like to know now before this goes any further. Does he stand a chance? Should we just end this now?"

Kathryn couldn't believe she was hearing this. For a girl as clever as she was, Annette could be intensely stupid. "First of all, if I wanted to fuck Sebastian, I'd do it. I don't need him to 'seduce' as an excuse."

"That's not really making me feel better."

"No, he doesn't stand a chance. I'm in love with you. Sebastian isn't going to change that. Yes, at one time I was infatuated with him, but all that changed when I read what he wrote about me it that fucking journal of his. It showed me the truth. We weren't in love. He didn't respect me or even like me. It was all just bullshit and I stupidly let myself believe it meant more than it really did. But it's over with now. You're what I want. You're _all_ that I want."

Before Annette could argue anymore, Kathryn reached out and cupping her face she kissed her. This time she was met with no resistance, as Annette wrapped her arms around her waist clutching her tightly, her lips eagerly moving against her own.

Kathryn was so wrapped up in it she didn't notice the approaching footsteps. Luckily, Annette had and briskly shoved her away. Before Kathryn could react, Siobhan rounded the corner. Immediately both girls schooled their expressions into matching looks of disinterest, as if they were just standing around waiting for their moment on stage and not furiously making out.

She thought they had done a pretty good job, but unfortunately Siobhan was no dummy. Stopping short in front of them, the taller girl looked back and forth between them as if sensing the tension. Raising one perfectly plucked brow in the air she asked, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Annette replied, her eyes wide and completely guileless as if it would never occur to her to lie about anything. "I was just wishing Kathryn good luck on her speech."

Siobhan cast a withering glance in Kathryn direction and snarked, "Yeah, well she's going to need it."

Hmm. Apparently, the younger girl was still pissed off that she told everyone she fucked Headmaster Charles. Did the bitch honestly believe she could just stroll up to the biggest formal event of the year in the same dress as her and face no consequences? Fucking idiot.

Ignoring her, Siobhan turned to Annette. "We have to go over your speech one more time. Something about that last paragraph isn't sitting right with me."

"Siobhan, you've helping out with Annette's campaign? How nice."

Swinging around the younger girl regarded her with disgust. "Suck my dick Benedict Bitch and save your pleasantries for someone who actually buys your bullshit." Smiling sweetly, she added, "Cause no one around here does."

Done playing nice, Kathryn was about to rip into her when Annette interjected. "Siobhan can you get me a bottle of water? My throat is kind of dry."

Clearly, she didn't want to leave them alone, but she acquiesced, nodding she left to fetch her refreshment. Kathryn sneered at her retreating back. "Charming girl. I think I'll destroy her when this is over."

"I think you won't," Annette challenged, amusement dancing in her eyes. "I rather like her."

"She's a total cunt"

"So are you," she laughed, tugging her closer, "And I'm _awfully_ fond of you."

Kathryn's eyes narrowed. "You better not be _that_ fond of her."

"I don't think she swings that way."

"You could seduce her. You're very good at it."

"Not interested," she murmured as she leaned in a kissed her briefly. Pulling back, Annette turned her sharp gaze on her. "Siobhan thinks you're going to try to sabotage the campaign. Are you?"

"Are _you_?" she challenged.

Annette seemed to consider her a moment before drawing a deep breath. "Alright, how about we make a deal. From here on out, we both agree to run a clean campaign. No games, no sabotage, no bullshit. May the best woman win. Agreed?"

It seemed simple enough, but Kathryn knew herself. More importantly she knew Annette. They would both do anything to win. She wasn't so sure that could be so easily dismissed with a handshake and yet she found herself agreeing anyway.

Reaching out she took Annette's hand and shook. "Agreed."

"Alright, I better go find Siobhan before she comes back to rip you another asshole."

"Ha ha"

Annette dropped a brief kiss on her lips before heading off. "Good luck Kathryn."

She watched her disappear around the corner without offering up the same good wishes. It probably didn't go unnoticed. From the other side of the curtain she heard the headmaster start to announce her entrance as one of her underlings appeared beside her with her speech on index cards. Normally she'd want a hit of coke before such an important presentation, but that day she didn't need it. She felt confident and she felt ready. Squaring her shoulders, head held high she smiled as the curtain rose. "Here we go."

* * *

"Well that was an unmitigated disaster."

With her disgusted sneer leading the way, Tiffany Merteuil strut into the parlor room trailed by her husband, stepson and finally her daughter, who was lagging dejectedly behind. As usual the temperamental woman was in high form. Wheeling around on the sharp edge of her Louboutins, she turned her venomous glare on her only (biological) child and demanded, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Nothing. She had nothing to say for herself. Kathryn felt as if she had been hit by a bus. A pretty blond bus in a headband.

Everything had gone according to plan. She had delivered her speech to thunderous applause, everyone loved her. And then Annette took the stage. Having never seen her girlfriend speak publicly Kathryn hadn't known what to expect, but she did know the crowd at Manchester. They were used to hearing from the brightest minds in the country on a regular basis. You couldn't just deliver a perky little speech on the merits of student government. One whiff of that shit and the crowd would eat you alive. Kathryn had actually been nervous on her behalf.

She was a fucking moron.

As it turned out Annette didn't need her pity or concern. She took to the stage like a pro, taking immediate command of the audience with a speech that was at once electrifying and stirring. The ironic thing was she barely mentioned the election. Instead, she talked about the charity that she had been spearheading. She had of course told Kathryn about it, but she had dismissed it as some little half assed project. Little did she know. Apparently, Annette had reached out to hospitals across the country (with help from some well-connected students) to donate expensive medical equipment so that it could be used in third world countries. Manchester was housing the equipment until it could be shipped out_. The New York Times_ somehow got wind of Annette's little project and she casually mentioned in her speech that an article would be coming out in the Sunday Times about her project. Helen Rosemond was so impressed she was throwing one of her infamous galas to honor Annette's good work, were she would present the donation on behalf of the Manchester student body. And oh yeah, none other than _Rihanna_ would be performing at said gala.

Needless to say, Kathryn's campaign promises to de-regulate the student dress code looked rather pathetic in comparison.

The crowd had completely lost its shit. Kathryn had never heard such rapturous applause and was left sitting there slack jaw as she watched her former disciples leap to their feet to worship their new queen. To say the whole experience was humbling was a gross understatement.

Kathryn wasn't the only one overwhelmed by Annette's little speech. Sabrina refused to go on afterwards and quit on the spot. There was a small part of Kathryn that wanted to do the same. Unfortunately, one look at her furious mother and she knew that wasn't an option.

"Kathryn dear have you had a stroke?" Tiffany snipped nastily. "Say something!"

"Cat got your tongue sis?" Sebastian called tauntingly from the wet bar. She glared mutinously in his direction but her normally clever tongue failed her when she struggled for a rebuttal.

"Your little friend there is quite the speaker," Edward commented looking up briefly from his phone. "I know a few politicians who wish they had that kind of poise."

_Thank you, stepdaddy. Ever so helpful._

"Yes, headmaster Hargrove must be very proud," Tiffany remarked. "I wish I could say the same."

Kathryn sagged into an armchair in defeat. Finally finding her voice, she muttered pathetically, "I'm sorry mother. I don't know what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened, that little farm girl completely upstaged you. She was articulate and assured and intelligent. You meanwhile came off like a stammering incompetent. While you're planning bake sales and food drives, she's creating nationally recognized charities and getting galas thrown on her behalf. She completely humiliated you up there today. You'll be lucky if you'll be able to be a member of student government let alone run it after your miserable display."

Kathryn could feel herself sinking further and further into the armchair with every crushing word. Usually her mother saved these little dressing downs until after they were behind closed doors. It was bad enough she had to endure it in private but to experience it with her stepfather and god help her, Sebastian standing two feet away was almost unbearable.

Edward gave a half-hearted effort to intervene. "Dear, I think she gets the point. There's no reason to—"

"Stay out of this," Tiffany snarled, barring her teeth at him before returning her venom to her daughter. "You better have a plan to fix this Kathryn."

Her brain went blank. "I-I can—"

"_I-I_" she mocked her, "Jesus Christ how could I have birthed such a pathetic creature. It must be your father's genes. I thought I raised you to be an intelligent woman, instead you're this sniveling, whiney, ungrateful little—"

"That's enough!"

Three heads swiveled in the direction of Sebastian who was glaring at his stepmother with such hatred it was a wonder she didn't spontaneously combust on the spot. Raising one perfectly arched eyebrow at her stepson, Tiffany challenged, "Excuse me?"

Slamming the decanter of gin loudly on the bar, he snarled, "For years I have listened to you tare her down every chance you get and I'm tired of it." Sebastian gestured at his father, "He may be too much of a coward to tell you to knock it off, but I'm not. Not anymore."

Tiffany crossed her arms to her chest. "Is that so?"

"You know I used to think it was the alcoholism that kept you from seeing who your daughter really is, but now I realize it's jealousy. She's beautiful. She's intelligent. And despite having a mother whose hell bent on destroying her, she's strong. You could never hope of competing with her and you resent the hell out of that. Kathryn may have had a set back today, but it's nothing, a blimp on the radar. She will go on to have a big, bright successful future, one that, unlike her bitch mother, she won't have to whore herself around to achieve. And you hate that, so you do everything in your power to make her feel like nothing. Talk about pathetic. You're her mother for fuck's sake, why don't you try like acting like it for a change."

For the second time that afternoon, Kathryn was stunned beyond words and she stared in shock at her stepbrother. She wasn't alone. Edward too looked mildly astounded. Her mother on the other hand looked furious. Kathryn had never seen her so angry. "How dare you," she snarled at him before turning to her husband and demanding, "Are you going to let him speak to me like that?"

Edward threw his hands up as if to say, _nothing I can do about it_.

Tiffany tossed one last murderous glare at her stepson before turning to Kathryn. "We'll discuss this later," she hissed at her.

"The hell you will," Sebastian told her coolly. "You're going to leave her alone from now on."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked, sounding almost amused.

"No, I'm just telling you how it is. If I ever hear to speak like that to her again, I'm going to go to my dear aunt Helen and have a little chat. Seeing as I'm her favorite relative, she'd probably be curious to know my true feelings about my step mommy. Mark my words, you'll be back in Toledo working for tips before the Christmas season."

Helen Rosemond was one of the most influential people in Manhattan society. One bad word from her and you were social roadkill, as her mother was aware. This wasn't an idle threat.

Realizing she didn't have a leg to stand on at the moment, Tiffany whirled away in defeat, casting one last glare in Sebastian's direction and her daughter's before making her exit. Edward followed, but not before giving his son a brief nod of approval.

When they were finally alone, the mask of fury Sebastian had been sporting as he dressed down her mother melted back into his normal expression of cool indifference. His gaze briefly flickered towards her before he turned and headed back to the bar to finish making his drink.

With his back turned to her, Kathryn was free to stare at him as she tried to figure out what the hell just happened. Sebastian had never stood up for her like that before. Hell, given the current state of their relationship, she half expected him to join in. Instead he defended her. One part of her was awed and grateful that he stepped in, but the other part, the sharper more cynical side knew this was just part of whatever game he was playing. She realized now more than ever she had to be on her guard with him because if Sebastian was willing to go toe to toe with the dragon lady just to bring her down, there was no telling what he was capable of.

Turning around with two glasses in his hand, one of bourbon, the other of gin, he wordlessly handed her the gin, before collapsing on the couch. Kathryn eyed him suspiciously. "What was that?"

"She was giving me a migraine," he sighed, loosing the tie around his neck irritably.

Kathryn got up and took a seat on the other end of the sofa. "_Working for tips in Toledo?_ She grew up in Boston idiot."

"Like it matters. I'm sure she was a wonderful cocktail waitress either way." Sebastian lived to remind her mother about her humble beginnings and Kathryn, who's father's side of the family hailed from French aristocracy, always secretly enjoy it.

"She was a stewardess"

"My mistake. Think she's a member of the mile high club?"

"Oh, given her history I wouldn't be surprised if she was acting president."

They shared a familiar grin and for a brief moment Kathryn could pretend nothing had ever come between them in the first place. "You know she's probably drafting admission letters to military schools as we speak."

"Let her," he sighed. "It was worth it just to see the look on her face." Sebastian stared into his drink and quietly added, "I should have done that a lot sooner. Sorry."

Momentarily caught of guard by his admission, Kathryn gave just a brief shake of her head, and took a long sip of gin. She barely tasted it. Part of her was aching to just relax around him, for it to be as it always was. She wanted to unload about everything that transpired, she wanted his advice on what to do next. But she knew she couldn't. Sebastian couldn't be trusted. This was all part of the game. He was trying to lure her into a sense of comfort so she wouldn't see it coming when he stabbed her in the back. Kathryn knew that's what he was doing because that was exactly what _she_ would do if the tables were reversed.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

She blinked at the question. "About mother?"

He rolled his eyes, finishing off his drink. "No, I was referring to your girlfriend. That was quite the speech she gave today."

"Yes, thanks I was there."

"Frankly I didn't think she had it in her and I'm guessing you didn't either. She's more formidable than I thought. Did you honestly not know about this charity thing of hers?"

Kathryn shook her head. "I continually underestimate her."

Sebastian leaned in closer to her. "Well if you want to win this thing, you're going to have to stop doing that. Look, I know you…love her…" he rolled his eyes, "or whatever, but you have to recognize that Annette is just as good at this game as you are, probably even better. The only way you're going to win is if you're willing to completely annihilate her. Are you ready to do that?"

_No, she wasn't._

"Valmont, it's a high school election, not the invasion of Normandy." Rolling her eyes, she went over to the bar to refill their glasses. She could hear the couch creak as he followed after her.

"There was a time you wouldn't have seen the difference. Are you telling me you don't care about this anymore?"

"No, I didn't say that."

He came around the other side of the bar to face her. "Then what is it? Since when are you afraid of getting your hands dirty?"

Kathryn eyed him over the rim of her drink. "I promised her I'd keep things clean."

He rolled his eyes and huffed, "And it didn't occur to you that she only made you promise that so you wouldn't see it coming when she screwed you over?" Kathryn blinked at him. _Shit_. Was that why she was so insistent they make that deal earlier? For some reason she hadn't put that together until right then. As always Annette was playing two steps ahead. She knew Kathryn would be livid and out for blood after her speech. By making Kathryn promise not to retaliate, she all but ensured her win.

"My, my, you really didn't see this coming did you?" Sebastian mocked. "I think true love is making you stupid sis."

_God he was right_.

"Piss off," she spat lamely as she started to march out of the room.

"Let me help."

She swung back around, wondering if she heard him right. "What?"

"You need to take down her campaign, but you don't want to destroy your relationship with her so let me do it. She'll never see it coming."

Kathryn let out a disbelieving laugh. "Oh, and I suppose you're going to do this out of the goodness of your heart right? Sebastian, I may be a little off my game at the moment, but I'm not a complete fucking idiot. I know this is just another part of your pathetic plan to destroy us. No thanks."

He had the gall to appear hurt. "That's not what I'm doing."

"Oh?"

"If I tell you something, do you promise not to laugh in my face?"

"No"

His gaze fell away from her as he admitted, "I miss playing on the same side with you. There was once a time we shared everything, but now it's like we're strangers. I hate it. I get that you don't trust me, frankly I don't trust you either, but I want to. I want things to be how they were before."

Kathryn looked up at him, realizing he was now standing a breath's inch away from her. "They can't," she told him quietly.

His hand made its way to he waist. "Why not? Because of her?"

"Because of a lot of things."

Sebastian backed away from her and nodded, looking wounded like he was somehow the injured party. Kathryn knew he was full of shit. Still, a small part of her couldn't help but wish he was on the level because the truth was, even though she hated him most days, she missed him as well.

Grabbing his drink off the bar he downed it and told her, "Offer still stands. Give me the word and I'll ensure victory is yours."

In another lifetime she wouldn't have hesitated. Sebastian always was her favorite henchmen after all, but he could no longer be trusted. With a brisk, assured nod she told him, "No thanks. I'll handle it myself."

He looked back at her, eyes dark, those puffy lips of his twisted in a scowl. "Fine." He strut past her on his way to his bedroom, but not before tossing off, "Call me when you get your balls back."

* * *

"You want me to what?"

"You heard me"

"If I tell her that you know she'll—"

"Laugh herself silly? Yeah, I'm aware. Do it anyway."

"Why?"

"Because, if there's one thing I know about my dear sister it's that she can't resist a challenge…"

* * *

Kathryn was running late. Zig zagging around fellow students who insisted on moseying along like they were on holiday, she dug her nails into her palm to distract herself from cursing them out. It wasn't really helping. When the final bell rang, she mouthed a silent, 'fuck' which swiftly earned her a side eye from some nobody girl walking beside her. She quickly flashed her one of her signature dazzling smiles that left the girl looking shocked and dazed, like getting acknowledged by a celebrity. Loser.

She could just make out her civics classroom at the end of the long narrow hallway. She couldn't be late. While it was true Kathryn was universally adored by most of the faculty, Ms. Greenbush seemed to harbor some kind of resentment towards her. Possibly because Kathryn was a beautiful seventeen year old with a bright future ahead of her, while she was an overweight spinster pushing forty who was likely to spend the rest of her years teaching a pointless subject to a bunch of over privileged brats. Her grade was already hoovering near a B and she didn't need to give the bitch any excuse to drop it further. She had to make that class on time.

Kathryn was halfway down the hall when suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she spotted a familiar head of blond hair coming towards her. Annette was pushing past the tide of the crowd, her gaze immediately fell on Kathryn. It was impossibly to miss that determined glint in her eye.

_Fuck my life. Fuck it right up the ass._

For the past two days Kathryn had been going out of her way to avoid Annette, their only communication being a few generic texts. Annette hadn't been pursuing her too hard as she likely recognized Kathryn's need for space. Apparently, she was done waiting for her to get her shit together.

In no mood to deal with this right then, she quickly tried to dodge around the crowd, escaping down a less crowded corridor that took her away from her destination but out of the path of the blonde. Kathryn let out a long shuttering breath, trying to put it out of her mind as she seriously considered pulling a fire alarm to solve her problem. Before she could give the matter any real thought, she felt herself being yanked inside a classroom. Whirling around she came face to face with Annette. "We need to talk."

She quickly closed the door behind her and glancing around Kathryn recognized the empty room as her junior French class. She shook her head in irritation. "I don't have time for this. Greenbush will have my ass if I'm late again."

"She can wait." Annette crossed her arms to her chest and leaned against the door blocking it. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"Why are you being dramatic?" When Annette merely stared her down, she exclaimed, irritated, "I'm not avoiding you. I'm _busy_. Believe it or not I do have a life that doesn't strictly revolve around eating your cunt. Can I leave now?"

If it was anyone else, she'd run the risk of bruised egos and hurt feelings, but Annette wasn't anyone. She didn't so much as flinch at her harsh words. "You haven't spoken to me since the assembly. Look I get you're mad—"

"I'm not mad," she replied with as much serenity as she could muster. "I'm not upset, I'm—"

"Jealous?"

"Fuck you!"

A sardonic smile tugged at Annette's lips as she pushed off the door and reached for her. "I'm just messing with you."

Kathryn shoved her away. "Don't."

The humor vanished from her face. "You really are mad."

"You played me. All that bullshit about wanting a clean campaign just so you could turn around and undermine me in front of the whole school, in front of my _mother_."

Annette's easy confidence seemed to waver at this reveal. Her brows knitted in concern. "Was it bad?"

"Like you give a shit," Kathryn spat petulantly.

"Of course I do." Annette stepped towards her, cradling her cheek.

She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the memory. "If was just her typical Tiffany taring down about what a pathetic disgrace I am. At least this time I got to see Sebastian put her in her place."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he really let her have it." Remembering back to it she mused, "It was kind of amazing actually."

Annette's sympathy melted away with the mention of her stepbrother. "Good for him." Pulling away from her Annette brushed past her. "Look, despite what you may think I didn't _play_ you Kathryn. I didn't lie to you. I told you all about the charity—"

"You left out a few key details. Your certainly didn't tell me about the _New York Times_ article or the fact that _my_ aunt is throwing _you_ a party."

"Why would I? You're the competition." Crossing her arms to her chest, that superior expression of her filled her face as she explained, "Admit it Kathryn, what's really killing you is that I beat you fair and square. I didn't have to scheme or lie or screw you over to win the game and you hate that."

"You haven't won anything yet."

"Haven't I? Face it, you vastly underestimated your opponent and that's not my fault. I won't apologize for playing a good game. I won't apologize for working my ass off to get that charity off the ground and recognized. And I certainly won't apologize for using every resource at my disposal to beat you fairly. As for my speech, well I can't help it if my public speaking skills are superior to yours."

Kathryn sneered at her, "You're a bitch."

"Well coming for you I take that as the highest compliment."

Knowing she was seconds away from saying something she'd likely regret, Kathryn turned away from her, having every intention of getting out of that room. Unfortunately, Annette wasn't having it. Grabbing her by the waist she tugged her back against her. "I don't want to fight with you," she murmured against her neck. "Come on, can't we just pretend—"

"No, we can't," Kathryn snapped. "Don't you get it? If you were anybody else, _anybody_, I'd have fucking ruined you by now. I don't let people get away with putting me in second place. Ever. But because you're you, because I…_have feelings for you_…I can't do that and it's killing me. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be me and be with you at the same time."

Annette regarded her with surprise. "Kathryn…"

"I think maybe we shouldn't see each other until the end of the election." She said it before she really had time to consider it. As soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to take them back.

Annette looked floored. And hurt. "Is…is that what you really want?"

"Of course not," she sighed. "But I don't really see any other option."

Letting go of her hand, she started for the exit when Annette called out. "I think I might know of one."

Kathryn turned around, hope leaping in her chest. It must have shown on her face because Annette let out a short laugh, "It's not what you think. I'm not dropping out of the race. But I have a compromise that would allow us to both get what we want."

Having examined the problem from every angle she seriously doubted it, but she humored her anyway. "What is it?"

Annette took a deep breath before revealing, "Co-presidents."

"Huh?"

Grabbing her hands, she led her back to the long teacher's desk at the front of the classroom and sat her down in the cushy desk chair. Sitting on the desk in front of her she slicked her hair back behind her ears and told her, "Hear me out. Now I've been looking into it and there is a precedent. About seven-eight years ago Manchester did have co-presidents. There was some deal with these two guys, I don't know if it was a tie or what, but who cares, it doesn't matter," she said with a dismissive wave. "The point is, with Sabrina out of the race, it's just me and you so I think if we go to my father and the student council and present them with the idea they'd go for it."

It was intriguing for sure, but Kathryn wasn't all together sold. "What makes you think I want to share the position?"

"How about because sharing is better than coming out a loser? Look, I wasn't even going to tell you about this as I have about as much interest in sharing as you do, but I think it's our best bet." Leaning over her she squeezed her shoulder. "Think about it Kathryn, I'd get the scholarship and you'd get the glory. It's win-win. Even you have to acknowledge that. And come on, we'd make a pretty vicious team."

She hated to admit that she was right. It was a smart plan. Her mother likely wouldn't think so, but fuck her. She didn't get a say this time.

"You're smiling," Annette observed, poking at her ribs playfully. "You know I'm right, don't you? Come on admit it."

"I'm smiling because I'm picturing the look on my idiot stepbrother's face when he finds out all his scheming was in vain."

She laughed. "Kind of makes the whole thing worth it, don't you think?"

Nodding, Kathryn tugged her forward until she was close enough to kiss. Annette's lips slid open and a soft groan escaped as Kathryn's tongue slipped into her mouth. Grasping her waist, she tugged her down until she landed with a gentle thud in her lap. Quickly their kiss escalated from teasing and sensual to hot and eager, with Annette's hands in her hair guiding her mouth against hers while Kathryn's hands made their way under her skirt.

Abruptly Annette broke the kiss with a breathless gasp. "Don't you have to get to class?"

"Fuck it. Greenbush can suck my clit."

"Not if I get there first," she murmured nipping at her neck.

Kathryn's hand slid off her thigh, coming to rest on her ass which was all but bare save for a thin scrap of lace between her cheeks. She let out a scandalized gasp. "Are you wearing a thong? What happened to your pilgrim panties?"

"Burned them"

"That's very naughty Miss Seventeen Magazine"

"Yes and I have a confession to make." Breath hot against her ear she whispered, "They're yours."

Kathryn's brain momentarily shut down at the thought of Annette wearing her panties. "That's so hot," she groaned, grabbing her by the face to kiss her hard.

Annette squirmed against her, seeking out some kind of friction as Kathryn ran a finger down the front of her thongs. She tossed her head back and moaned. "Fuck. Goddamn I've missed this."

"Hey, I have an idea. Let's go back to your place and I'll fuck you senseless on headmaster daddy's bed."

She nodded against her mouth in agreement. "Sure, we can go—oh fuck!"

Annette hopped out of her lap like her ass was on fire. Kathryn watched befuddled as she began straightening her clothes. "What the hell?"

"I totally forgot I was supposed to meet my father," she glanced at her watch and winced, "Like fifteen minutes ago, shit. I'll never hear the end of it if I blow him off. Ring check?"

Kathryn pouted. "Fine."

"I promise I'll make it up to you. Maybe I can sneak over after school."

She perked up a little over this. "Okay. Call me?"

Annette dashed to the door. "Yep and we can go over what we're going to say to him. I told you this would work out."

"You're a clever girl."

She was almost out the door when she abruptly turned back around and ran into Kathryn's arms, kissing her so hard she nearly knocked her off the chair. Pulling back with a giddy grin she laughingly proclaimed, "I fucking love you Merteuil, you know that?"

"Go, you're going to be late," she ordered, but she knew she was sporting the same stupid grin.

Annette ran out the door, casting one last smile in her direction as she left. Once alone Kathryn let out a small laugh, that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Her chest filled with an odd sort of jubilant euphoria that she'd only ever felt with the help of a narcotic.

Soon she was pulled from her moment of giddy elation by her ringing phone. Pulling it out of her pocket she scowled when she saw who it was. "What do you want?"

"Easy princess I come in peace." Blaine Tuttle's amused tone greeted her. They hadn't spoken since the orgy and she wasn't really in any mood to talk to him now.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over and sample some new goodies. On the house."

Nothing with Blaine was ever free, they had this in common. Kathryn was immediately suspicious. "Since when do you give shit away?"

"Since you're one of my best clients and…I don't like how we left things. Consider this me waving the white flag."

She sincerely doubted it, but she was always up for a taste test and if she wasn't going to civics or make out with Annette, there wasn't much else to do. Still, it was fun to play hard to get. "I don't know…I should really get to class."

"Blow it off. Come on I know you of all people will appreciate it. It's the _Beyoncé_ of cocaine."

At that she laughed. "Alright, fine you win. I'll be over in ten."

* * *

"Do you ever go to class?"

Kathryn observed dispassionately as Blaine snorted a fat line of coke off a chunky Herb Ritts coffee table book that sat between them. When he emerged from his deep dive his chocolate colored eyes were bright in his cherubic face and his cheeks were flush. Rubbing the residual powder from his twitching nose he told her, "Not unless it's absolutely necessary."

Picking up the William Sonoma gift card they were using to cut rails, Kathryn carefully made herself another line. Her hands were shaking slightly from the effects of the drug and her heart felt as if it was in danger of beating out of her chest, but she continued on her merry way.

_Nevertheless, she persisted._

Kathryn laughed to herself or maybe it wasn't really to herself after all because Blaine was shaking his head at her. She couldn't seem to focus on one thing at a time. Her head was buzzing with one thought after another. She tried to concentrate on their small talk.

"Are you planning on graduating this year?"

"Of course." Leaning over he grabbed a piece of paper sitting behind him on the desk and waved it around. "Early acceptance to Harvard."

Kathryn frowned. She had yet to finish her application to Yale. Recent events had caused her to slack on some things. Snatching the paper from his hand she examined it for inaccuracies. "How is this possible?"

"I'm a legacy bitch," he sing songed, pouring out some pills onto the glass coffee table. "Daddy got me in."

"You still have to graduate."

Blaine gave her a look like she was a complete moron. "Baby, I deal to half the faculty. It's a done fucking deal. So, what about you, still Yale bound?"

"You know it." Having second thoughts on another line, she pushed the book towards him and pulled herself up on the plush couch behind her. Blaine hadn't been kidding about this being good stuff. Everything felt ten times sharper than normal as her eyes buzzed around Blaine's dorm room drinking in strange details like the curved edge of the Marilyn Monroe poster hanging on the wall, and the way the light hit the purple bong sitting beside his bed. She idly wondered what it would be like to fuck on this stuff.

"It's super intense," Blaine laughed. "Why don't you try it out on Blondie. Is she going to Yale too?"

"That's the plan"

"Huh…and what about Sebastian?"

Kathryn sat up a little straighter. "How should I know?" He had never discussed his future with her, nothing specific anyway. She had always assumed he'd end up at some ivy league, scamming on undergrads and showing up to class hungover ever morning. In the back of her mind she kind of expected he'd end up at Yale with her. Her chest suddenly felt tight at the prospect of not seeing him next year.

Her concern must have been written all over her face. "You okay?"

"Mmm hmm," she hummed, reaching for the martini Blaine had made her. She needed to calm the fuck down. She took a big gulp then eyed him over the rim of the glass. "So, why'd you really invite me over?"

He chuckled, lumbering to his feat as he came over to crash beside her on the couch. "I felt like a shit for how we left things. Sorry about that. I was kind of messed up over Greg."

Kathryn laughed at the idea of anyone being messed up over Greg McConnel. Nuzzling her arm against him she teased, "You _like_ him."

"I _tolerate_ him."

"You could do better." She rested her head against his shoulder and stared out at the afternoon sun that was peaking between the evergreens outside the window.

"You sound like your brother. Speaking of which, how's he doing these days?"

Kathryn scowled as she remembered their last conversation. "He's fine. He's Sebastian. Why?"

He shrugged. "He was really messed up that night. You know with everything that happened between you two and the headmaster's daughter, not to mention his performance issues—"

That got her attention. Sitting up straight she turned to him and demanded, "Performance issues?"

Blaine winced and tried to get up from the couch. Kathryn immediately pulled him back down. "Pretend I didn't say anything."

She let out a dismissive laugh. "Yeah that's going to happen." Grabbing his arm she demanded, "What's going on? Spill Tuttle!"

Blaine let out a long-suffering sigh before abruptly turning to face her. "Alright fine!" He held out a warning finger. "But I swear to god Merteuil if you tell anyone about this, especially that little girlfriend of yours, you're dead. I swear I'll bury you."

She rolled her eyes at his theatrics. "Yeah, yeah, what is it?"

"And you can't let Valmont know I told you. He'd have my balls if he—"

"BLAINE?!"

A naughty smile tugged at his lips. "Well it would seem our dear Sebastian is having a bit of a problem in the bedroom…how shall I put this? Keeping the wind in his sails." He raised his index finger in the air and then lowered it with a pathetic whistle.

Kathryn gasped. "No!"

"Afraid so."

Clasping her hands together she erupted in laughter, falling back against the couch. She laughed until there were tears in her eyes. It was like Christmas and her birthday all wrapped up in one beautiful package of humiliation.

Blaine shoved her legs that were kicking the couch cushions in glee. "Hey now, be nice. This has been very hard on him…" Blaine then broke out in laughter as well. She wasn't sure if was on account of his bad pun or not.

"How?" she asked through her giggles.

"Apparently he caught sight of you and the headmaster's daughter, and it fucked his shit up."

Kathryn wiped at her eyes remembering Sebastian mentioning watching them in her hotel room. "That's what he gets for eavesdropping."

"It's kind of tragic. It's like superman without the ability to fly or Mariah without the ability to sing."

"Charles Manson without the ability to murder people." She shook her head. "Face it this is just karma—he had it coming."

"Maybe." Leaning in Blaine whispered tauntingly in her ear before getting to his feet, "You better hope it doesn't come calling for you princess."

She scowled at the implication and was about to level her own reminder that Blaine wasn't some innocent little lamb when she suddenly recalled something. "Wait. That night…Sebastian got hard. I felt it."

Blaine whirled around to face her, his face lit up in amusement. "Oh reallllllyyy? Do tell."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened. He was a mess and I was trying to keep him from swallowing his own tongue."

"Are you sure you felt it?"

"Trust me. He's not what you would call small in that department."

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, I remember." When Kathryn raised a speculative eyebrow, he waved her off. "Huh, so what does that tell us then? He can't get it up for anyone else, but he doesn't have any problem performing for you."

She really didn't want to consider the implications. At least not right then with Blaine grinning at her like a naughty loon. It was probably just a coincidence she told herself.

"It means nothing," she told him firmly.

"Really? Cause personally I think—what the hell?"

Something out the window had caught Blaine's attention. Turning away he rushed over to the large picture window in the center of the room. "Holy shit," he exclaimed with a low whistle. "Get a look at this."

"What?" Momentarily forgetting her issues with her stepbrother, Kathryn scrambled to her feet and joined him at the window. Far across the rolling green lawns of Manchester, on the other side of the administration building another brick building was engulfed in flames. Huge black clouds filled the air as the structure burned. "Jesus Christ. What building is that?" Manchester was such a sprawling campus it was sometimes impossible to keep up with every monument to education.

"That's the old Turner building. I think they use it to store vehicle equipment or something."

Down below students were already rushing towards the fire and Kathryn could hear sirens approaching. Grabbing her hand, Blaine tugged her to the door. "Come on, let's go take a look."

The two of them quickly scrambled into the narrow stairway and down three flights of stairs, along with what seemed like most of the dorm. Blaine shoved his arms into his navy Manchester blazar. "Fuck me. If one of those loser burnouts are responsible for this and it gets traced back to me…"

"You could probably kiss Harvard goodbye," Kathryn finished for him with a mean smile.

Blaine glared at her. "Just remember, I go down, I take everyone with me."

"Noted."

They all emptied out into the bright afternoon sunshine that seemed to contrast wildly with the billowing clouds of smoke hanging overhead. As they hurriedly made their way over to the building, all around them other students were chatting excitedly as if they were going to a party and not a potentially dangerous incident. Normally Kathryn would have been darkly amused by all of this, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gripped her stomach as they approached. Something had happened and it wasn't good.

They were only allowed to get so far to the building before some faculty members and fire fighters held everyone at bay. Arms to her chest, suddenly feeling oddly chilled Kathryn watched the flames eat the building alive as she listened to students around her gossip and speculate.

"I bet it was one of those burn outs"

"Melissa said homeless people sometimes sneak it and sleep there. I bet one of them started it."

"It's probably just an electrical thing."

"That's where they were keeping all that medical equipment, for that charity thing." This caught Kathryn's attention. Her head swung in the direction of two senior boys standing nearby. "You know that thing the headmaster's daughter was running."

"Fuck man," the other one sighed. "There goes Rihanna…"

Kathryn looked over at Blaine and he appeared as surprised as her. "That can't be a coincidence, right?"

Looking back at the building, she noticed a couple of people standing right on the edge of the roped off area. Kathryn recognized one of them as Ms. Philips the student volunteer advisor and the other was Annette. Her face was in a tight angry line and she was shaking her head. She looked pissed.

"Nope," Kathryn answered him. "Doesn't look like it."

Almost as if she had heard her, Annette's gaze landed on her. It was impossible to mistake the look she gave her as anything other than accusatory. Kathryn's breath caught in her throat as she felt the other shoe drop.

Beside her Blaine mused, "I wonder who did it?"

Kathryn watched helplessly as a furious Annette turned and walked away with the student advisor. She was totally fucked.

Scowling as she watched her go, she remarked, "I have a pretty good idea who was involved."

* * *

"What the fuck did you do?"

Kathryn came storming into her stepbrother's bedroom without knocking, guns drawn, ready for battle. Sebastian meanwhile couldn't be bothered to look up from his book. Flicking his tongue over his index finger, he turned the page of his novel and drawled, "You're going to have to narrow that down for me sis."

Yanking the first edition out of his hands, she tossed it carelessly aside and leaned over him, gripping the arms of the chair he was lounging in. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about."

"Do I?" Sebastian had his poker face on—bored and indifferent. He wasn't going to make this easy for her.

Straightening up Kathryn folded her arms to her chest as she stared him down. "The Turner building, the one on campus currently housing all the equipment Annette is going to donate? Someone burned it to the ground."

His expression was a placid mask of nothing. "That's a shame…those poor orphans or whatever."

Kathryn had enough of this game. "Cut the shit Sebastian. I know it was you. Are you out of your fucking mind? I mean burning down a school building? You might as well send your transcripts to sing sing instead of Yale."

This he smiled at. Springing to his feet he brushed past her and chided archly, "Oh sis, always so dramatic." He leaned back against his desk and she noticed for the first time he wasn't in his school uniform. Had he even gone today? "I haven't done anything. Ask the servants, ask Maurice. I've been here all afternoon."

Kathryn didn't buy his alibi for a second. "Of course you wouldn't have done it yourself. I'm sure you got some dopey loser or one of those pathetic girls who follows you around to do your dirty work for you." Trying to control the rage that was running through her veins (not to mention the cocaine) her hands balled into tight fists at her sides. "You went too far Sebastian. I told you to stay out of this."

"You're right, I could have had someone do this. Then again…so could you."

Her eyebrows shot up at the implication. "Excuse me?"

Pushing off the desk, his eyes went dark and his lips twisted into a cruel sneer as he approached her. Instinctively she backed away. "What reason would I have to burn down a building with important medical equipment in it? After all, I'm not the one who's losing my student body president position and I certainly have nothing to gain by ruining Annette's chances at the position. You on the other hand…"

"You son of a bitch!"

Overcome with fury she began throwing wild punches at him which he easily fought off. Grabbing her by the wrists he slammed her back against the bedroom door and pinned her down. Kathryn struggled against him, crying out in frustration as he overpowered her.

"Chill out," Sebastian ordered. "I'm not threatening you. I'm merely making an observation."

"If you so much as try to pin this on me—"

"I won't. So long as you don't try to implicate me. Deal?"

Kathryn was in no mood to make any more promises. Using all the upper body strength she could muster she pushed him away. "Get off!"

Taking a step back from him she realized she was panting hard. They both were. Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, all traces of his aloof exterior had vanished. "Look, I just did what you were too chicken shit to do yourself."

"I would _never_ have done this. I draw the line at committing a felony!"

He let out a humorless laugh. "Since when? Just admit it Kathryn, if this was _anyone_ else, you'd be the one lighting the match yourself."

"This isn't _anyone_ else!" she exploded. "That's the whole point. I promised Annette I wouldn't pull any of this shit. Now, thanks to you and your new found love for pyromania, I look like I betrayed her."

"So what? And need I remind you Annette didn't seem to have any qualms about breaking her promise not to run against _you_ in the first place."

Kathryn didn't have an argument for that. Not a good one at least. Of course that nagging thought had been in the back of her mind all day, along with a twinge of resentment that she should feel guilty for any of this in the first place. But before she could allow herself to go down that road, she remembered the agreement she and Annette made earlier that day and her heart sank.

"She offered to share the presidency with me. Since Sabrina's out of the race, the headmaster is likely to go for it. It would have solved everything."

Sebastian was less than convinced. "You, share something?"

Kathryn shut her eyes and rubbed her palm over her forehead. She would have given anything in that moment for this mess to be over with. "It was the perfect compromise. I'd get my mother off my back and she'd get her scholarship."

"Yeah, she's probably not going to go for that now."

"Gee, you think?" Shaking her head at him she snarled, "You really fucked up this time Sebastian."

"Oh, spare me the righteous indignation, it doesn't suit you." Stepping towards her he grabbed her by the waist and hauled her against him. Kathryn was too surprise to react to his sudden manhandling. "You honestly expect me to believe that you're not secretly pleased by this? I know you Kathryn. I know what gets you off."

Before she could tell me to fuck off, he launched his mouth against hers. It was an aggressive full on assault. One that prior to this summer, if he had the balls to kiss her like that, she would have gleefully returned. But things had changed and she was in no mood to indulge him. It was then she remembered her earlier conversation with Blaine and the little bombshell he dropped. Things started to fall into place.

Kathryn shoved him away hard. "You've got to be kidding me. Is _that_ what this has all been about?"

"Of course," he replied tossing his arms in the air. "Did you honestly think I did all this out of some brotherly concern for your well being? Come on Kathryn. It's always been about this." Once again he grabbed her by the waist as he stood over her, his mouth a hair's breath away. "This thing between us, it lives and breathes, and it will be here long after your little infatuation with the headmaster's daughter flickers out. "

"Stop it," she warned, giving a half-hearted effort to pull away. "I love her."

"Maybe you do, but it won't erase this. I've tried to get you out of my system. I tried to ignore it, I tried to fight it, but I'm done fighting." Sebastian's grip on her waist tightened and Kathryn's breath caught in her throat. "You and I belong together, we always have, we always will. Deep down you know that. We're inevitable."

Any argument she was going to make died on her tongue as he closed the gap between them, tugging her forward until their mouth's met. His kiss, while equally aggressive, wasn't as demanding as his previous one. For reasons she couldn't fully understand at the moment Kathryn found herself returning his kiss.

Her hands moved from his arms to his face, as she pushed up on the balls of her feet, trying to gain, control of the situation. Like with everything else, Sebastian wouldn't let her win so easily. He grabbed her by the back of the neck deepening the kiss. When her mouth opened to take a much needed breath, he slipped his tongue inside, claiming her.

In the blink of an eye, things went from slow and sensual to out of control. Before she even realized it was happening, the two of them fell back into the bed. Sebastian parted her thighs with his hips, guiding himself to where he always wanted to be. Almost immediately Kathryn felt his hard on through his pants, hot, rigid and begging for attention. She groaned into his mouth.

As much as she hated herself in that moment for indulging this desire, she had to admit she got off on the power of it. Knowing even with all his vast experience, she was the only one who could get him off like this. She bet if she wanted, she could get him to come in his pants. As if wanting to test that theory, she bucked her hips against him drawing a whimper from her stepbrother.

_Yeah, give it to me, brother dear._

Kathryn shoved her hand into his hair, tugging him closer, letting herself forget everything and everyone in that moment except this, the undeniable lust for him that she could never seem to shake. Her mind shut down and her hormones took over. When she felt Sebastian's hands slide up her thighs and he groped her ass, she moaned into his mouth and arched against him seeing friction to alleviate the ache that was starting to gather uncomfortably between her legs. Her whole body felt on fire, like she could combust at any moment. What the fuck was happening to her? In the dim recesses of her mind she told herself she needed to stop this.

But she didn't. Not when he ground his erection into her leg. Not even when he started to tug her panties off. Luckily however, someone did intervene on her behalf.

A sharp knock echoed from the other side of the door, startling her back to reality. Shoving Sebastian away she sat up abruptly. "Yes?"

"Ms. Kathryn?" It was Thomas, their second-floor butler. "There's a Miss Hargrove here to see you. Should I send her in?"

"No!" she called out. Sebastian chuckled from his spot beside her. "I-I mean have her wait in the parlor. I'll be out to see her shortly."

"Very well Miss."

She listened to his retreating foot steps then scrambled off the bed, quickly fixing her clothes, praying she got to Annette before she found her there, disheveled and smelling like Sebastian's cologne.

_I'm fucked. So fucking fucked._

Her stepbrother meanwhile just lounged on the bed, pants still tented in arousal with a faint smear of lipstick on his cheek. He was wearing the most shit eating grin. "So, what do you say, shall we invite her to join us?"

Kathryn had just about enough of him. How could she have been so stupid? Oh right, hormones.

Charging up to him she grabbed him by the ear and yanked him forward. Sebastian made a guttural sound of pain, but it only made her twist harder.

"Listen up fuck face, you breathe a word about what just happened to anyone, _especially Annette_, and I'll fucking tell everyone your dirty little secret."

He yanked himself free of her grip scowling. "Go right ahead and I'll tell everyone you put me up to it. Mutually assured destruction, remember?"

Kathryn shook her head. "That wasn't the secret I was talking about." She shot a pointed glance at his groin. "According to a little birdy you've been having some performance issues lately. Imagine what would happen if that got out. _Sebastian Valmont not able to fuck? _You'd be ruined."

That wiped the smug smile right off his face.

"That's what all of this is about, isn't it? Your sudden desire for us to play on the same team." She scoffed then reached out and squeezed his cock through his pants. His breath caught. "I'm the only one who can get you off, right? Well you can forget it." Removing her hand, she sneered at him as she headed for the door, calling out behind her as she left, "It's never going to happen. Enjoy blue ball hell asshole."

* * *

"Can't I just go in?"

The 6'2 man with the broad shoulders and Magnum PI mustache stood guard over the entrance way like he was a guard at Buckingham palace. He was intimidating for sure but was also pushing seventy so Annette was fairly certain she could take him if she had to.

He gave a swift shake of his head. "I'm sorry Miss, but Miss Kathryn asked that you please wait here until she's available."

She was sure she did. Arms crossed to her chest she asked him, "Sebastian wouldn't happen to be home, would he?"

The butler hesitated before replying, "Yes miss he is."

"Is Kathryn with him right now?"

Once again, he hesitated. Annette didn't need to know anymore. Having reached her limit with this bullshit she shoved him aside and ran up the marble staircase that led to the first floor. What's-his-name called after, pleading for her to wait. Had it been Mai-Lee trying to detain her, there was little doubt in Annette's mind the small woman would have charged after her and grabbed her by the ankles, rather than anger her mistress. Jeeves however likely wasn't about to physically assault a teenage girl just to do his employers bidding.

Running on adrenaline and pure righteous fury, Annette charged across the parquet floors of the Valmont townhouse. She could feel the blood rushing in her ears and her hands balled into fists like she was reading for a fight. Indeed she was.

_Kill. Kill. Kill. _

It ran through her mind like some kind of demented cheer. She had gone too fucking far this time.

She came up short when she arrived at the bedrooms. Both doors were closed, but she could hear murmured voices behind Sebastian's. She heard Kathryn, voice low and sneering. All she could make out was the word 'asshole' and then the door opened. Kathryn turned around and when she spotted her there those green eyes of hers went wide for a moment in surprise.

"Annette"

She said nothing as she grabbed Kathryn by the wrist and yanked her into her bedroom. Annette closed the door behind them then slammed Kathryn back against it. Grasping her by the neck she demanded, "Tell me right now why I shouldn't kick the ever living shit out of you."

To her credit Kathryn didn't so much as flinch. "Because I didn't _do_ anything."

"Bullshit"

"It's the truth." She shoved Annette away with impressive force and coughed, touching her neck that was now red. "Jesus. I didn't burn down that building, I had nothing to do with it. I was with Blaine doing lines for most of the afternoon. Ask him."

"Oh, I believe you. So, which one of your boot lickers did you delegate to do it? Olivia? Ainsley?" Annette caught Kathryn's gaze shift towards the door and suddenly everything made sense. "Of course, I should have known."

Whirling around she started for the door, fully intending to cross the hall and kick Valmont in the balls. Kathryn grabbed her arm holding her back. "Don't."

Annette tossed her hand off. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? I can't believe you had that asshole destroy everything I've been working on."

"I didn't," she hissed.

"Oh, so he just came up with the idea to burn down that building with all my equipment all on his own?"

"Yes! I had nothing to do with it. I was just as surprised as you."

For once Annette couldn't tell if she was lying or not. Deciding to call her bluff she challenged. "Alright, if that's true then let's go, right now back to school and we'll tell my father it was all Sebastian."

Kathryn blinked back at her. "No."

"No? Why the hell not? Oh, I get it. Afraid they'll start asking questions or someone might put two and two together and figure out the only reason Sebastian would have to commit arson would be to benefit you."

"You cannot tell anyone Annette."

She shook her head rubbing a hand over her face. She was so exhausted. "Do you have any idea how bad you two fucked me over? The _Times_ is already getting ready to retract their piece on the charity and your aunt called to suggest we hold off on the gala for the time being. All that work, all the hours I put into it, were all for nothing."

"I'm sorry."

Annette pulled her hand away and looked at her. Really looked at her. She saw the brightness in her eyes and the flush in her cheek. It was her 'I wanna fuck' look and she'd been wearing it ever since she left her stepbrother's room. Is sure as hell wasn't for Annette. Grabbing her by the face she kissed her harshly, shoving her tongue into her mouth almost violently. She didn't taste like herself. Annette shoved her away.

"I should have fucking known," she spat.

Kathryn looked at her like she was deranged. "What the hell?"

"Tell me something, what did you promise to give him if he won this election for you? A blow job if he burns down the building. You fuck him if he gets me disqualified? Does he get to fuck you in the ass if you win?"

"Screw you!" she huffed all indignant, "I didn't do anything!"

"Come on Kathryn, you're a better liar than that. You _taste_ like him."

Her lip curled in a sardonic smile. "Well you would know, wouldn't you?"

Annette wondered if Sebastian had won the bet. For a second, she was tempted to tell Kathryn about it, but something was holding her back. Instead she sneered at her, "I can't believe you. Was it so important to beat me you were willing to whore yourself out to make it happen?"

Kathryn's eyes flashed in anger and her back stiffened at the accusation. Annette immediately regretted it, but it was too late. "You fucking _cunt_. You want to know what happened? He kissed me. I shoved him off. End of story. Now get the fuck out."

Ignoring the order Annette whirled on her. "You promised me we'd keep this thing clean."

"Yeah? Well you _promised_ me you wouldn't run in the first place. Oops."

Annette could feel their fight going further and further out of her control, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She just made her so mad. Desperate to wound her anyway she could she spat, "I can't believe I was going to compromise this election just because I felt sorry for you."

"Sorry for me?" Kathryn echoed before letting out a harsh laugh. "Have you not been paying attention? I'm not the one standing with my dick in my hand. You're completely fucked now. You'll be lucky if the nerds and fellow scholarship losers vote for you."

"Well see about that." Stepping forward, adrenalin pumping through her veins, Annette grabbed her by the face and kissed her. It wasn't seductive and teasing, but a full on attack as if she was trying to suck the life out of her. Annette wanted to remind her who was in control.

When her lungs began to burn for the need for oxygen, she pushed her away. Kathryn let out a loud, gasping moan as she looked over at her wide eyed, her lips puffed and well used. That will give you something to think about tonight bitch.

"Gloves off baby," Annette told her with a cool smirk before turning on her heel and walking out the door. Kathryn wanted to play rough, she was more than fine with that.

Annette left the bedroom and headed out the way she came. As she passed through the main parlor a familiar, obnoxious drawl called out, "Tough day?"

She paused and rolled her eyes upwards. Honestly, she should have just kept walking but as always when it came to the Valmont siblings, she couldn't help herself. Annette turned around to find Sebastian sitting at the piano, tinkering with the keys wearing his perpetual smug grin. She dearly wanted to punch it off his face.

"No thanks to you. Well done. I didn't think you'd have it in you to go full felony."

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked fluttered his eye lashes in faux coyness.

She shook her head. "Do you honestly think this was going to somehow win her over?"

Sebastian pushed away from the piano and elegantly rose from his seat. "I don't know. She seemed pretty appreciative." Standing over her he leered, "Would you like to concede now? I all but had her panties half way down her legs. Give me another week and I'll have her on all fours."

According to Kathryn is was just a kiss. She wondered which one of them was lying and suddenly she deeply regretted getting in bed with him (in more way than one). "Forget it. Bet's off," she told him with a flippant toss of her hair as she turned to leave.

Sebastian wouldn't be dismissed so easily. He jumped in front of her blocking her path. "Too bad it doesn't work that way. We had a deal."

"Like I give a shit"

"You back out and I'll tell Kathryn all about it. How do you think my dear sis will take it when she finds out you turned her into a pawn?"

Annette briefly considered calling his bluff, marching back into Kathryn's room and confessing everything. There was a possibility that she wouldn't be surprise and likely not even offended. But given how they just left things, how she practically called her a whore, odds were good it would more than send her off the deep end. Annette would likely never see her naked again.

Knowing he had the upper hand, Sebastian leaned in and murmured tauntingly. "You're about to lose the election and your girl. If I were you, I'd start doing some stretches. I'm going to work you _so fucking hard_."

She smiled faintly as she looked up at him through her lashes. "That's some good advice. Maybe I'll start now."

Annette then brought her knee up swiftly and kneed him in the balls. Sebastian cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground like a used Kleenex. It felt immensely satisfying.

As Valmont cursed her out, Annette grabbed a handful of his blond curls and yanked his head back so their eyes met. "I'm not going to lose anything. Fuck with my campaign or _my girl_ and I'll come back and finish the job on your balls." She let him go and he fell back on the ground glaring back at her murderously.

Strutting out of there she called out, "Have a nice night Valmont."

* * *

The election took a dramatic turn two days later.

Kathryn was just leaving European history, texting Ainsley for campaign poll updates when she looked across campus and noticed a small crowd, gathered on the north hill in front of a makeshift stage. Everyone was cheering and going nuts. Blaine Tuttle of all people was at the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to introduce your soon to be new student body president…Sebastian Valmont!"

Kathryn came to abrupt stop. What. The. Fuck?

As the crowd cheered and whistled Sebastian suddenly jumped on stage taking the mic. "Thanks Tuttle. Alright guys I'm going to make this quick. Most of you know me. I suppose you could say I have something of a reputation." This earned him a few catcalls and whistles. Sebastian smiled devilishly into the microphone. "I could tell you it's all lies, but I will always strive to be honest with you…I'm a complete asshole. I admit it!" More cheers. "So, you may be asking yourself why I'm running. Am I turning over a new leaf? Please. The truth is I don't give a shit about student government. I'm doing this for my college transcripts. Just like everyone else running, only I'm not going to bullshit you about it."

"What the hell is this?"

Kathryn turned to find Annette at her side, watching the stage in disgust. "It appears my dear brother has decided to run for student body president."

"You see unlike my competition; I'm not going to stand up here and bore with you a lot of fucking nonsense nobody cares about. Regulating the dress code? Charity projects?" Sebastian mimed jerking off. "Who gives a shit? How about naked Tuesdays and orgy Thursdays?" The crowd roared with approval. "I say we take back this school from the phony's and Jesus freaks who are trying to run it! If I'm president, no more speeches, no more rules and no more bullshit!"

Sebastian and Blaine then began to chant, 'no more bullshit', with the crowd quickly joining in. Kathryn watched wide eyed and startled as everyone lost their fucking mind. _What the hell?_ She looked back at Annette to find the blonde, unamused shaking her head. She let out a deep sigh.

"Still think you can control him?"


	14. The Martha's Vineyard Trip

**Chapter 13: The Martha's Vineyard Trip**

* * *

"AH!"

Sebastian jerked awake. Blurry eyed, he scanned the room in alarm before his gaze landed on the shrieking lingerie model sharing his bed. Slapping a hand over her mouth to silence her he demanded, "What's your problem?"

She pointed at something over his shoulder. Sebastian turned to find his stepsister sitting beside him on the bed fully dressed for the day, wearing a shit eating grin. "Morning," Kathryn greeted him brightly.

"Ugh," he groaned. Releasing the model, he sank face first back into his pillow. "It's just my sister."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Kathryn teased.

"No. What do you want?"

"I've been sent by the parentals," she explained, examining her manicure. "They want your ass up and ready before noon. We have to be to Manchester by one."

He had a brief momentary fear that he slept through the weekend only to remember himself. "What are you talking about? It's Saturday."

"Very good Sebastian," she simpered sarcastically. "It's the luncheon for student government. Everyone running for student body president has to attend, which thanks to your stupid stunt, now includes you."

Sebastian would rather have nails hammered into his balls than attend school on a Saturday. "I'm not going to that shit." With a dismissive wave on his hand he ordered, "Make up an excuse. Tell them I have mono or something."

"Mono? More like gonorrhea."

The model gasped. "Is that true?"

"Probably"

"_No_"

Kathryn reclined beside him, resting her head on her elbow. It was a far too familiar pose to strike in front of company. Clearly, she wanted to play. Sebastian mimicked her pose_. Bring in on bitch_.

"I have to admit I was surprised to discover you had company."

"Jealous?"

"You wish." Her red lips quirked into a smirk as she traced a finger over his bare chest. "What about your little…problem?"

Trying his best to ignore her teasing hand he replied airily, "That's over with now. I'm cured."

"Oh?" Looking over his shoulder at the blond watching them with a puzzled expression she asked her, "Tell me, what exactly did you and my darling brother get up to last night?"

She blinked, confused by the question. "Um, we went to dinner at Twelve Oak and—"

"Did you fuck?" Kathryn asked bluntly.

The girl blushed at least three different shades of red. "No, I mean yes. I mean he went down on me. Twice. Then we fell asleep."

A triumphant smile broke out on his sister's face, but Sebastian was careful to keep his expression blank rather than give her the satisfaction of his embarrassment. Sinking back down beside him, she began to walk two fingers down his abdomen until they disappeared under the sheet. "Oh Sebastian," she cooed with mock sweetness, "I never would have taken you for such a _considerate_ lover."

When those tricky fingers of hers began to make their way towards his groin Sebastian grabbed her wrist and flung her hand away. "Keep your hands to yourself sis…unless you intend to finish the job."

She pretended to think about it before leaning in close as if she was going to kiss him. She stopped just short of his lips. "No thanks."

"Tease."

What's-her-face blinked at them in shock. "Are you two really siblings?"

"Step," they both responded in unison.

Kathryn sat up, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Come on, get your ass up. I don't want to be late."

"Too bad. Have Maurice take you. I'm not going."

Her expression darkened and her earlier amusement disappeared momentarily, like a cloud rolling over a blue sky. She looked like she was gearing up to scream at him when suddenly her eyes twinkled with mischief. "Tell you what, I'll have Maurice take me and I'll make up a suitable, non-embarrassing excuse to the parentals."

"What's the catch?"

Kathryn's gaze shifted to the blonde on the other side of him. "You just have to tell me her name."

_Fuck_. She knew him too well.

Sebastian searched his fuzzy memory but came up alarmingly empty. He wanted to say it started with an A or maybe a B. Because it was best not to show fear when dealing with Kathryn, he looked at her and announced confidently, "It's Bianca."

"My name is Serena you asshole!"

She punched him with surprising force in the shoulder before leaping up from the bed. Sebastian rubbed his arm as Serena ran around the room, gathering up clothes and muttering curses under her breath. As she struggled to get her dress over her head, he noticed Kathryn drink her in with obvious interest. "Oh, you don't have to leave on my account," she told her with exaggerated sweetness.

Serena ignored her as she finished getting dressed and dashed to the door. Throwing it open with all the dramatics of a soap opera star she paused on the threshold and looked back at them with contempt. "You two are seriously fucked up!"

"What gave it away?" Sebastian retorted dryly.

She let out an angry little huff before slamming the door behind her. Kathryn and Sebastian watched her leave unbothered. This was way too much drama to cope with before coffee.

Without any warning, Kathryn straddled his lap, her supple thighs cradling his hips as she deposited that tight little butt of hers right atop his morning hard-on. Sebastian groaned softly while trying to will himself not to react.

Settling his hands lightly on her waist, he turned a wary eye on his stepsister. "You're in a decidedly better mood from last we spoke." Kathryn had taken the news concerning his student body president nomination about his as well as he expected. She threw a vase at his head and threatened to cut his balls off. That had been five days ago. Since then she had been studiously avoiding him which was why he was rather surprised to wake up to her in his bed that morning.

"Yes, I've decided that being annoyed with you is a waste of my time and energy. I have bigger fish to fry."

"Like your girlfriend?"

He expected the question to garner some kind of pissy rebuke, but instead she just smiled slyly as her hands slid up his bare chest. "That's right. Not that I'm having any trouble on that front. I'm up in the polls."

"There are polls? That seems a little excessive for a student election." If he tilted his head just so he could see up her dress. Her panties were red lace. Slut panties. _Nice_.

"I'm ahead of Annette. You're languishing in third." She affected a mocking pout. "It appears your little bullshit stunt didn't work."

"I told you, I am only running to help you out. I know you really didn't want to share that position with Annette." More like he didn't want the two of them getting any closer. This stupid election so far was the only thing that seemed to make any kind of dent in their relationship.

Kathryn of course wasn't buying his good intentions.

"How noble," she quipped. "With friends like you brother dear, who needs enemies?"

With a taunting gleam in her eyes she began to rock against him. At first, he thought it accidental, but he quickly caught on to her game. Sebastian's now fully hard cock was wedged up against the crack of her ass, the only thing separating them was the thin material of his silk boxer shorts and her lace panties (which he was fairly certain was a thong). Digging her nails into his chest for leverage, she road him. _Hard_. Back and forth she rocked, dragging her hot cunt across his dick.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

_Jesus Christ._

Sebastian had done some nasty shit in his time, but for whatever reason getting dry fucked by his stepsister easily topped the list. She was like living, breathing sex. The dark hungry look in her eyes. The way she bit into her bottom lip with every forward thrust. The jiggle of her tits as she rode him. To say nothing of the elicit nature of the whole thing. It was almost overwhelming. Add to that the unbelievable heat and friction and he knew he was close to going over the edge.

She wanted him to come in his pants so she could turn around and mock him. Well if he was going over that bridge, he wasn't going alone. Grasping Kathryn by the hips, Sebastian thrust up, grinding the crown of his cock against her clit. A high pitched cry, escaped his stepsister's throat making him grin. When he did it again the taunting look on her face morphed into something darker.

"Is someone feeling sexually frustrated?"

"I'm not the one having _performance_ issues."

He dug his nails into her harder, picturing her little girlfriend finding finger shaped bruises on her hips tomorrow. Speaking of which. "I noticed the lovely Annette hasn't been around recently."

"We've…decided to…keep our distance…until the election…is over…_shit_."

Sebastian tried to enjoy the effect this was having on her, but he found himself becoming distracted by his own pleasure. He was so fucking close he could feel his balls draw up. Sebastian fantasized about throwing her down and ripping those god forsaken panties off. He'd push inside her balls deep before she could even object. Would she object? He had his doubts.

"Sounds like…" he lost his train of thought when she began to grind down hard against him. Fucking bitch. "Someone's not getting their needs met."

"On the contrary. _Phone sex_." Kathryn rolled her hips, drawing him closer to the edge. "She gives good mouth."

"I wouldn't know…_goddamn_"

"Speaking of which…I have a phone call to make."

Then as abruptly as she climbed on top of him, she climbed off, leaving Sebastian's erection to stand humiliatingly in the air. Practically trembling with a mix of anger and lust he tried to keep his temper under control. Staring up at the ceiling he spat, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Kathryn straightened her dress and ran a hand through her hair completely unbothered. "Afraid not." She then leaned over him until her mouth was hovering over his and ran her fingers across his cock. "Go take care of this in the shower and be ready in twenty minutes or I'm driving myself. _In your car_." She dropped a chaste kiss on his cheek then sauntered towards the door.

"You really are Satan," he grumbled.

Opening the door, she whirled around and blew him a kiss. "Oh Sebastian, you should know by now, Satan's got nothing on me."

* * *

"Why are you driving like a geriatric?"

Sebastian turned his eyes away from the road long enough to shoot her an annoyed look. "I'm driving the speed limit. Besides, I'm in no hurry to get anywhere."

"Well I am," she snapped. Kathryn had to physically stop herself from leaning over and pushing her foot on the accelerator. Normally Valmont drove like a speed demon. Clearly, he was just doing this to infuriate her.

"I have an idea. Why don't you pull over and let me drive?"

He let out a bark of laughter. "No fucking way."

"Why not?"

"Because you're an atrocious driver Kathryn. Need I remind you what happened the last time I let you behind the wheel of my car?"

Crossing her arms to her chest, she stared disinterestedly in the other direction, pouting. "No."

"You nearly ran us into a lake trying to avoid a non-existent dear."

"There was a dear!" she yelled, annoyed at the same old argument. "Which you would have noticed if you weren't busy staring at my tits."

"Sure." He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. "You know it amazes me you're such a bad driver given your supposed prowess in the bedroom."

Kathryn adjusted the sunglasses on her face. "Sebastian, there is no correlation between how one drives and how one fucks."

"Sure there is. Observe. I'm cool, relaxed, confident behind the wheel." Indeed, as she side eyed him, she couldn't deny the fact that he was in fact all those adjectives. One hand casually gripped the wheel, while the other rested on the side of the car. As he drove up a hill, he elegantly switched hands to shift gears. She had to admit Sebastian was never sexier than when he was driving.

Of course then he had to go and open his mouth.

"See you trust me to know I'm going to take you to where you want to go…and you'll enjoy it." His hand let go of the gear shift and he reached over to squeeze her knee.

Kathryn flung him off irritably. "I get the point."

"A bad driver however is all tense, doesn't know what they're doing." Then as if to emphasize his point he grabbed the gear shift again and this time the car lurched forward, jolting her roughly in her seat. "No one wants to fuck someone who can't shift gears correctly."

"You're an idiot." Despite his stupid metaphor Kathryn found herself laughing.

Sebastian grinned over at her and she nearly gasped. It had been a while since he smiled at her like that. That fucking smile of his would be the death of her.

Not for the first time that day she was regretting her earlier stunt. She hadn't planned on dry humping him into the mattress. Something about seeing him with that model made her itch to prove to him (and herself) that she was the one he really wanted. Plus, toying with Sebastian always made her feel powerful. She just intended to tease him a little, she hadn't intended to take it that far. But when she found herself seconds away from coming against him, she knew she had to put an end to it. She might have looked cool and collected when she strut out of there, but her knees were like jelly and she had to stop herself from finishing herself off with her vibrator.

Just thinking about it, her skin suddenly felt flush and that dull ache between her legs became more pronounced. _Damn_. Maybe she should have gotten herself off at least once before she left. To top it off she was going to see Annette soon. Her body was already humming in anticipation. Perhaps she can talk her into a brief cease-fire, just long enough for both of them to get off.

"So why did you really want me to drive you to this thing?" Sebastian asked cutting through her dirty thoughts. Kathryn fidgeted in her seat under the guise of fixing her skirt.

"I told you, mother insisted—"

"Bullshit. We both know _mother_ has been adamantly against us spending any time together since I hit puberty. No, what I think, is you're hoping by showing up with me, it will make a certain fake virgin green with envy. Am I wrong?"

She stared out at the passing scenery. "Are you honestly offended?" she grumbled.

He laughed. "Not at all. But why stop there?"

Once again his hand found its way to her leg and once again she was going to toss it off when she looked up and noticed something. "Hey idiot, you missed the turn."

"No, we didn't. The airport's just down the road."

"Airport?!" She sat up straighter, shifting her whole body towards him. "What the hell are you talking about? We have to get to the luncheon."

"Do we? It's such a beautiful day. It would be a crime to spend it cooped up inside with a bunch of inbred assholes at _school_. So instead, I've decided we're going to spend the day at the house in Martha's Vineyard."

Kathryn's eyes bugged and she had to stop herself from reaching over and throttling him. "We are going to do no such thing. If you want to blow it off fine, but take me back to Manchester first."

He pretended to think about it. "No, I don't think so. You need this Kathryn. You're starting to boarder on shrill lately. You're dangerously close to entering Tiffany territory."

"What I _need_ is to be at that luncheon."

"Why? It's not like you'll lose the election if you don't go. It's just a bunch of faculty and parents. They don't vote anyway. Besides, if you really want to make Annette jealous, blow it off with me. It will eat her up inside wondering what we're doing."

That was…tempting. Although Kathryn wondered if it might be too convincing. She didn't really want Annette thinking they were sleeping together. Despite her anger and annoyance with her at the moment, she did still love the blonde something fierce.

"Turn the car around," she ordered.

When he shook his head, Kathryn lunged across the seat and tried for the wheel. Sebastian pushed her back. "Knock it off!"

"Take me to the luncheon goddammit or I swear to Christ Sebastian I will tell everyone that you can't get it up."

For once he wasn't fazed. "Go ahead, although fair warning, people might start questioning how you know so much about your brother's dick."

She let out a frustrated shriek, her hands curling into fists. As soon as they got out of the car she was going to knee him in the balls _so_ hard. She should have known he was up to something. Sebastian was in far too good a mood after what she did to him earlier.

Amused by his sister's predicament, Sebastian just laughed. "You need to learn to relax."

"I'm going to murder you."

* * *

An hour and a half later, as she was lounging on the beach, soaking up some ill-advised UV rays, Kathryn decided maybe she wouldn't murder her stepbrother after all.

The whole way to the airport she was dreaming up different ways to pay him back for this latest stunt. However, somewhere between JFK and Martha's Vineyard, Kathryn realized perhaps this was all for the best. Blame it on the Valmont private jet. The son of a bitch knew she had a weakness for anything lavish and extravagant.

By the time the town car pulled up the cobblestone drive that led to the Valmont compound, her anger felt like a distant memory. Of course she didn't let him see that. There was no way she'd give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right when he told her she needed this: a day away from all the stress and bullshit in her life at one of her favorite places on earth.

It wasn't as if Martha's Vineyard was all that great, frankly is was the Hamptons less fabulous second cousin. It was the house she loved. It was a two story, shingle style estate with a gambrel roof and long verandas on both wings. The house sat on forty acres of meticulously tended to land and featured a tennis court, a pool, a sauna and a private entrance to the beach. It had been featured in _Architectural Digest_. Twice.

Stretching out on the large beach blanket, Kathryn adjusted the strap of her black bikini Sebastian had generously provided, along with a picnic basket of food, and a bottle of aged Dom. It was unreasonably warm for late September, but as it was off season the beach was practically empty save for an older couple camped out far away and a couple of townie girls walking along the shore. Sipping champagne and basking in the sun was much preferable to having to fake smiles and pleasantries with a bunch of entitled assholes.

However, as she thought about Annette most likely waiting for her to arrive at the luncheon, she felt a twinge of guilt. Part of her had been thrilled to disappear with Sebastian knowing it would eat Hargrove up inside wondering what they were doing. However, another part of her, the part who recognized those feelings as petty and desperate, hated the thought of hurting her unnecessarily. _Huh_, Kathryn thought, _maybe this is growth_.

She was eager to check her messages on her phone, but her cell mysteriously went missing not long after they arrived. She was pretty sure Sebastian snagged it. Kathryn resisted throwing a shit fit for now, curious to see where he was going with this whole seduction bit. Did he really expect it would be this easy? After five goddamn years of this game going on between them, did he really think she would just give in and give him what he wanted on a horny whim? Silly rabbit.

Speaking of which, Kathryn watched as her stepbrother emerged from the water and bent to grab his towel idling in the sand. Even from a distance she admired his body. Sebastian wasn't particularly buff or muscular seeing as the only exercise he engaged in involved unzipping his fly. However, there was something about his body that always did it for her. He was lean, and smooth and pretty.

Kathryn snickered to herself as she imagined Sebastian hearing that particular thought.

The two townie girls approached him and she watched as they chatted, with Sebastian giving them his best charming, rouge grin which they in turn ate up with a spoon. One of them scribbled down something and handed it over. Sebastian nodded, casting a brief smirk her way before saying his goodbyes. As he approached her, swagger as cocky as ever, clutching the towel around his neck, Kathryn felt herself stiffen and draw back as if to protect herself.

"Making friends?"

He glanced disinterestedly at the napkin before flinging it at her. "Alice and Avery. Not my types but then again you always had a thing for townies."

"That was one time and he was beautiful."

Kathryn guzzled down her glass of champagne and went for another. Kneeling down beside her, Sebastian opened the picnic basket and pulled out a sandwich, tossing it to her. "Eat something. I'm not carting your drunk ass to the emergency room. Again."

She was tempted to tell him that was one time and it was really hot, but she didn't have the energy to argue with him. Instead she took a turkey sandwich and took a large bite. He smiled. "Good girl."

Then, feeling obnoxious, she stuck her tongue out at him, food and all. "Mature," he told her, but he was smiling. "God, I forgot how human like you are outside the city."

Kathryn stared at her sandwich recalling Annette saying something similar to her one time. "As opposed to the raging bitch I am in Manhattan?"

Popping some grapes into his mouth he stared at her with that inscrutable expression of his for a beat before knocking him knee against hers. "You're not so bad."

That gave her pause. She wondered how much of this was on the level or was it just part of his stupid revenge. Staring out at the water she remarked, "I should really call Annette. She's probably freaking out by now." Kathryn's gaze shifted back to him and she remarked sarcastically, "If only I knew where my phone went to."

Sebastian shrugged. "I told you, it's probably in the town car. They'll bring it back when we leave."

"How convenient."

He exhaled loudly through his nose. "You need to relax."

"Fine. Do you have any coke?"

"Without stimulants"

"Well that's just boring."

"Not necessarily." Sebastian got up and shifted behind her on the blanket. Reaching for her suntan lotion, he poured some into his hands then began to rub it on her shoulders. "You're starting to burn."

No, she wasn't, but then again, she wasn't going to object to one of her stepbrother's legendary messages either. Thanks to their latest rift, it had been eons since she indulged in one. To say Sebastian was good with his hands was an understatement. Still, she would rather shop off the rack than admit that to him so when he began messaging lotion into her shoulders she remarked with airy disdain, "You really do just touch me whenever you feel like it, don't you?"

Sebastian leaned in close to her ear and murmured, "Baby, I touch you a fraction of how often I feel like it."

Something in his tone made her cunt tighten and her nipples pucker. She dearly hoped he didn't notice.

As his fingers worked their way down her back, he remarked, "You know I never thought I'd see the day, you of all people would be led around by your pussy."

"Excuse me?"

In a high pitched voice he mocked, "_Annette is waiting for me. Annette won't return my calls. I have to talk with Annette_. Jesus, it's a wonder you remember your own name."

Kathryn sighed, refusing to be baited. "I love her idiot."

"Love," he sneered, "try infatuation. It's just lust."

She swung her head to the side, letting him work on her neck. "It's not just that. The sex is amazing, but I can get good sex anywhere. It's…" she hesitated sharing this with him, but the Dom made her tongue loose. "I feel calm with her."

"You mean bored."

"I feel like I can trust her."

"Yeah, until she uses it against you."

Turning her head, she caught his gaze. "I feel _known_."

Sebastian's hands paused. "_I_ know you. I certainly know you better than her."

Kathryn let out a disbelieving snort. "Oh yes, how can I forget. Your lame journal listing all my best qualities."

She kind of expected him to apologize for that or at least act a little sheepish. Instead he got angry, pushing away from her and getting to his feet. "Jesus Kathryn, what did you expect me to write after you ripped out my fucking heart?"

Kathryn's eyes widened at the sudden outburst. She was glad her sunglasses shielded most of her expression. "You really loved her, didn't you?"

He shook his head. "She's not the one who broke my heart."

She sucked in a breath, momentarily stumped on how to answer that. Was he actually implying it was her he loved all along? Did he honestly expect her to buy that?

Running a hand through her hair she airily replied, "Exaggerate much?"

Sebastian sunk down onto the blanket beside her. "Am I?"

"You know, Annette warned me you'd be trying to come after me." Kathryn studied his expression looking for a tell. "Something about you having a realization that we belong together."

Reaching over he poured himself a glass of champagne. "What else did she tell you?"

"Is there something else to tell?"

Sebastian didn't say anything as he sipped his Dom and stared at her over the champagne flute. They eyed each other for several long, loaded beats, each waiting for the other to crack. In the end it was Kathryn who broke first.

Shifting on the blanket so she was sitting in front on him she locked her gaze on his. "You're trying to seduce me like you do all your little conquests, aren't you? That's what this trip is about. It's why you had that building burned down for me and why you're suddenly defending me to my mother." She let out a mocking laugh, cocking her head. "You honestly think this will work?"

Edging even closer to her, until their knees were touching, Sebastian reached out and brushed a strand of her hair from her face. "Of course. It's already working. You're, here aren't you?"

"Yeah because you kidnapped me."

His tongue came out wetting his lips as he smirked down at her. "Hardly. It's not like I handcuffed you." He leaned in even closer, cupping her face. "Although I'd like to later on."

Kathryn pushed him back but he didn't budge. "Dream on."

"You didn't have to get on that plane. You could have called a car to come pick you up or even Annette. You got on because you wanted to go." Tilting his head, he leaned in until their lips were a hairs breath away. Kathryn absently wondered if he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Staring at her stepbrother's plump, wet lips, realizing what was about to happen, she suddenly had trouble breathing. "The truth is you're enjoying my attention." He kissed her briefly, his lips barely touching hers before pulling back a fraction. "You want me to seduce you. You _need_ it."

Kathryn could feel an argument form on her lips, but before she could vocalize it, Sebastian was kissing her again. Despite the voice in her head screaming this was a bad idea, she found herself kissing him back. Although she would never admit it, he was right, she was enjoying this. She loved Annette, but she _craved_ him.

This kiss was different from the other's they shared. It wasn't quick and passionate or demanding. Instead it was slow, sensual, and lazy. It made her head spin and pussy melt. Cupping her face, Sebastian's mouth worked against hers at a leisurely pace while he tongue teasingly flicked against her own. Kathryn's eyes briefly opened to find him watching her. "Close your eyes weirdo," she ordered between kisses.

Smiling against her mouth he replied, "No I like to watch you."

"Freak." Kathryn bit at his lip making him groan and quickly soothed it with a swipe of her tongue. "You're so transparent."

"Oh?" Sebastian sucked on her tongue making her shiver.

"You think you'll fuck me once, get it out of your system, and your erection will magically come back, but it doesn't work that way." His kiss became a little more aggressive. "Face it I'm too ingrained, even when you hate me, you still want me."

Sebastian laughed lightly tilting her head in the other direction as he kissed her. "Get over yourself Kathryn."

"It's true. If we ever did fuck it would be the end of you. No other woman would ever measure up." Grabbing him by the back of the head, she took control of the kiss, deepening it, from a sensual tease to a hungry embrace. Yanking away, she was panting as told him, "So it's probably best we never fuck."

Breathless, eyes glazed with desire Sebastian nodded in agreement. "Probably."

Then, as if sealing the deal, they proceeded to make out in the sand. Neither of them heard the ringing phone.

* * *

Annette needed a cigarette more than she needed air.

Ducking into an empty classroom located on the second floor, safe enough away from the party that no one would think to look for her, Annette locked the door behind her and pulled out the hidden pack of Marlboro's in her purse. Popping one in her mouth, she lit up and took a long satisfying drag. The luncheon had been going on for nearly two hours, but it felt more like six. Annette's jaw actually ached from smiling so much. She was in desperate need of five minutes of peace.

As the nicotine filled her lungs she sank back in a plush teacher's chair and pulled out her phone. Scrolling past recent texts she was dismayed to see none of them were from Kathryn. So she texted her. For the fourth time that day.

_**Where are you?**_

As she hit send her face twisted in dismay. She felt pathetic, like a lap dog begging for attention. They were in this weird place now where they wouldn't acknowledge each other in public and there was no more sneaking off in private, but they talked on the phone and texted with both of them acting like this was just some kind of game they were playing. Maybe it was, but Annette didn't like it. She missed her. And late night phone calls and dirty texts weren't cutting it.

All week she had been looking forward to this stupid luncheon for no reason other than the fact that she knew they'd be forced to talk to one another, even if it was all fake polite bullshit. At least she could see her. Annette told herself when Kathryn got there, she was going to pull her aside somewhere and tells her she's done with this crap. She doessn't care about the fire. She doesn't care about whatever shit that went on with Sebastian. She missed her. Fuck the election, fuck anything else that wasn't them.

But then the bitch never showed up.

It hadn't escaped her of course that Sebastian hadn't shown up either. Hating herself, Annette had been texting her hoping against hope that maybe she was just stuck in traffic or running late. Would she actually blow off something as important as this? And would she do it with _him_ of all people?

When she got no response to her latest text, Annette decided to go seek out some answers. She was nothing if not proactive and she was sick of wallowing in her own thoughts. After finishing off her cigarette she sprayed on some perfume (Chanel, a gift from Kathryn naturally) and headed back to the luncheon.

The great hall on the first floor was currently busting at the seams with bored parents making small talk with faculty members struggling to be enthused about wasting a Saturday on this nonsense. Annette spotted her father across the room chatting up Helen Rosemond and the head of the English department. She was careful to avoid them, turning in the other direction. As she did, she noticed the Valmont's standing nearby. Tiffany Merteuil was as beautiful and intimidating as ever, while her husband stood beside her, a hand on her lower back as he chatted up a congressman. Annette realized if she wanted to get some answers, they were probably her best bet. Of the two of them, Edward seemed like the safest option. He might be a perv, but he was at least amicable unlike his wife who likely viewed her as the enemy.

Annette bided her time and waited to get Edward alone. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as someone caught Tiffany's attention across the room and she soon abandoned her husband to go smooze. Annette swooped in, pretending to notice him as she crossed over to the bar serving up non alcoholic drinks. "Hello Mr. Valmont," she greeted him, smile bright, tits out. "It's nice to see you again."

For a second, she worried she was going to have to introduce herself to him again when he stared at her without saying a word. Luckily, it wasn't necessary as he greeted her with a big, boisterous, "Annette! Lovely to see you again dear, but please, call me Edward."

"That's very kind of you Edward," she told him pretending not to notice when he very clearly checked out her rack. Like father like son. "Um, have you seen Kathryn?"

"You know, come to think of it I haven't." Edward glancing around the party as if it now just occurred to him that his children should probably be there. "She was supposed to arrive with Sebastian, he was going to drive them down. I wonder what's keeping them, they should have been here a couple of hours ago."

Annette gave a little shrug and a smile as her brain began fervently picturing all the things that could be 'keeping' them. Suddenly Edwards phone rang interrupting their small talk. "Ah, give me a second Annette."

He turned away to answer it and Annette, pretending to feign interest with the dessert table, eavesdropped as best she could.

"He did what? No, I didn't authorize that." Edward sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm not surprised. Was his sister with him? Hmm I see. Alright Tony, tell me when they get back."

Annette picked up a piece of cake and waited for Edward to approach. "Well it seems my children have decided to skip the festivities this afternoon."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently Sebastian took the family jet on an impromptu trip to Martha's Vineyard. Kathryn went with him."

Annette felt something tightened in her chest and suddenly she had trouble breathing. "Oh? That sounds like…fun."

"Yes, something tells me my wife won't think so. If you'll excuse me, I have to go break the news to her."

She nodded, waiting till he left before letting her face fall. Annette set her cake down with a solid thud and reached for her phone in her purse. Angrily she typed a fresh text.

_**Enjoying Martha's Vineyard?**_

As she waited for an answer, she was sure wouldn't come, she tried to tell herself that maybe it wasn't what she thought. Maybe Kathryn wasn't off sunning herself on the beach with Sebastian. Maybe they weren't fucking each other's brains out at the family beach house.

Maybe she was a delusional bitch.

When her phone pinged a minute later, Annette nearly jumped in surprise. There was a text and a picture.

_**I am thanks. This is just what I needed.**_

Attached was a picture of Sebastian. Shirtless and grinning smugly on the beach. Annette had to contain herself from flinging her phone across the room.

That fucking bitch. Here she was waiting like a loser for her to show up, prepared to _apologize_, even though she did nothing wrong and she was off frolicking with that asshole. Not only that she was rubbing her nose in it.

Annette was so angry she let her mask of pleasantness slip away for a moment. Of course Siobhan chose that moment to approach her. "Whoa, you have total bitch face right now. Is something wrong?"

Closing her phone, she shook it off. "No of course not, I'm just checking for a status update on something."

Siobhan didn't look entirely fooled but she let it go. "Well in case you haven't noticed, your competition for this thing didn't even bother to show. I think you have it in the bag."

"Yippee," Annette grumbled sarcastically grabbing a non-alcoholic drink from a passing waiters tray. She winced at the sugary drink hit her tongue.

Siobhan's perfectly manicured eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You sure you're okay?"

She didn't say anything at first as a plan had started to take form. If Kathryn wanted to fuck with her, she'd happily return the favor. "I'm fine, better than fine in fact. I think I want to make the announcement."

"What, now? But I thought you wanted to wait until—"

"Screw it," she cut her off. "I want to win this thing."

Siobhan smiled in approval. "Girl, I don't know what's gotten into you but I approve."

"So do I"

* * *

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnngggggg_

Sebastian could hear the phone ringing from its hiding spot in his beach bag, but as he had a handful of stepsister tit at the moment, he didn't give it much notice. Unfortunately, Kathryn did.

She jerked back, kneeling over him in the sand. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Is that my phone?"

Sebastian attempted to pull her back to him, but Kathryn wasn't having it. She immediately started scrounging around the picnic basket and the bag they brought down to the beach. Once again Sebastian got distracted by the sight of her barely covered ass as she fluttered around.

"Ah hah!" Kathryn held up the phone triumphantly in her fist. "You lying sack of shit Valmont."

He let out a short laugh as he flounced onto his back. "That's funny coming from _you_."

She ignored him. Sebastian observed as Kathryn began to pace and scroll through her phone. He realized of course, what was about to happen and he tried to steal himself against the inevitable assault. Slipping his sunglasses back on he thought he probably should have worn a cup.

"She knows I'm at the Vineyard. How does she…" Kathryn's brows shot up and gaze zeroed in on him. "Oh, you fucking asshole."

"What?"

"You texted her a shirtless picture of yourself?" Stalking over to him she kicked sand at his face. "I should rip those pretty balls of your clear off."

Not expecting that, Sebastian coughed up sand, trying to dislodge it from his hair and face. Luckily, he was wearing sunglasses, so it missed his eyes for the most part. Still, it wasn't pleasant. "I thought you wanted to make her jealous," he snapped irritably. "I was doing you a favor."

"Bullshit."

Before he could argue further her phone started blowing up again. It pinged like crazy indicating texts. "What is it?" he asked.

"Shhh!"

He watched impatiently as Kathryn silently read her texts, her eyes narrowing and her mouth opening in surprise. "No, no, no…"

"_What_?"

Sebastian got to his feet, trying to read over her shoulder, but the glare from the sun made it hard. "Annette got enough donations to offset the cost of the damaged medical equipment. Apparently, she made a big speech at the luncheon with your aunt. She's going to donate the check…at the gala…your aunt is throwing…fucking wonderful."

"Girl works fast. Very impressive."

"Wait, there's a video. Of what?" Kathryn opened up some link her second in command Ainsley sent her. Immediately a video feed popped up of Annette being interviewed on some local news channel. Looking bright and photogenic as hell, she beamed at the reporter as she explained about the initiative then added, "…a few of my friends and I have recently teamed up with some of the students from other private schools in the area, to create a new initiative we're calling 'Friends for Change'. We hope by pooling all our resources maybe we can better help the less fortunate and have a better impact on our community."

"_THAT FUCKING BITCH STOLE MY IDEA!" _Kathryn hurled the phone angrily into the sand.

"You wanted to create a charity called _'Friends for Change'_?" Sebastian asked in disbelief.

"Of course not," she hissed as she started to pace. "I wanted to create an organization, with all the most prominent members of the best schools in the city—_that I would head_! Imagine the power and the influence and the contacts, I could reap from it. Now that little upstart is stealing my position and she's only been here for all of five fucking minutes!"

"She is good," he marveled.

Kathryn's head shot up and her eyes, wide and furious landed on him. "This is all your fault!" Kathryn lunged at him, but Sebastian quickly ducked before she could do any damage and wrestled her to the sand. "GET OFF ME!"

"Knock it off," he growled at her, grabbing her wrists and holding her down. "You're on a public beach for fuck's sake."

Realizing he had a point, she stopped struggling and when he let her go, she shoved him away and sat up. They both sat panting, while casting quick looks around to see if anyone had noticed their little display. Luckily, the few people still loitering around were preoccupied.

"I knew I shouldn't have come here," Kathryn spat.

"Oh? Would you have rather been there to witness her little speech? What would you have done, attack her to?"

"I would have stopped it before it happened."

"How?" Sebastian shook his head at her. "Face it, she's been planning this, including her contingency plan after the fire. You, showing up at the luncheon wouldn't have changed anything. If she hadn't made the announcement today, she would have done it later. That girl of yours is ambitious as hell and just as motivated as you are. If anything, I saved you from having to save face in front of everyone including your mother. Not to mention you're not the best at appearing gracious."

Kathryn seemed to stew on this for a moment as she stared at the sand, absently running her fingers through it. "What am I going to do?" she asked, her voice oddly quiet.

Sebastian was surprised by the question. "Are you asking me?"

"Clearly"

He sighed, figuring how best to proceed. "Well, you can't go in guns blazing, at least not yet. Take a step back, regroup and then…"

"And then?"

"And then you hit her with everything you got." Kathryn actually looked uneasy at the prospect. "Look, I get you love her," he rolled his eyes, "or whatever, but if you want this, you're going to have be willing to hit her where it hurts. Down and dirty, brutal, no holds bar."

Still not looking at him she told him, "I don't want to lose her."

Sebastian nodded. "Well then, you'll have to decide. What means more to you? Your power and reputation…or her."

If he had any sympathy left for his darling sister he might have felt sorry for her in that moment. She looked so lost. Sebastian watched her closely, looking for any sort of sign of what she was thinking, but he couldn't get a read on her.

He was about to press further when Kathryn suddenly leapt to her feet. "I need to head back to the city."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Why? So you can confront her or god help me, apologize?" he asked like it was a dirty word.

"I have no intentions of doing either one," she replied haughtily. "We're going back to the city and you're taking me out to every club and shit hole you know, and we are going to get epically and royally _fucked_."

Okay, _that_ he hadn't expected. Sebastian got to his feet.

"Oh, I get it. You want to use me to get back at her, is that it?"

Her challenging gaze bore into his as she stepped forward and grabbed his dick. Sebastian's breath caught in his throat. Smirking knowingly up at him, Kathryn rubbed him through his swim trunks. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He grinned, already pulling out his cellphone. "I'll call the pilot."

* * *

"I'm not going to fuck you." Kathryn thought it was important to lay down a few ground rules before the festivities got under way.

Sebastian finished snorting the line on the table between them and wiped the residual off his nose. "I wasn't expecting you would." When she shot him a disbelieving look he laughed. "But a boy could hope. So, what, just oral?" He mimed sucking a cock.

She shook her head. "Not with you. You're just my wingman tonight."

Sebastian pulled a face as he poured out two shots of Cuervo. "Fine, but if I find a hot piece of ass, I call dibs. No cock blocking."

"Ditto. I haven't forgotten what happen in Maui."

He grinned likely recalling that scuba instructor Kathryn had been trying to bang all spring break only for Sebastian to seduce him out from under her.

"That wasn't nice," she chastised him, fixing the straps of her slinky dress with an almost indecent slit up the side.

"I offered to share him." His gaze had fallen to the slit up her leg and Kathryn could feel her body warm at the attention. She shook it off. It was imperative that she keep her head tonight, at least as far as Sebastian was concerned. Sober, she had no problem keeping him at a distance, but lately she found herself slipping. It was one thing to make out a little or a crotch grab here or there, that was harmless, but under no circumstances could they take it any further. Annette would forgive a lot, but getting intimate with Sebastian's dick wasn't something she'd just get over.

When she noticed his gaze had moved to her braless tits, she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey asshole I mean it. We are keeping our hands off each other tonight."

Sebastian rolled his eyes upwards. "Fine, I got it." He slid a shot across the table to her. "Shut up and drink."

They were currently spread out in the den, sitting on the Aubusson on either side of the Frencesco Molon coffee table. Lines of coke were laid out on a sterling silver Tiffany serving tray sat between, along with a bottle of tequila. They called this their pre-game ritual. Once upon a time, when they use to spend all their time together, before this summer, before Annette, they used to do this at least once a week. It felt like a life time ago. It surprised her that she actually kind of missed it.

Kathryn did the shot and as the alcohol burned its way down her throat, her phone rang. She didn't even have to look to know it was Annette. She had been texting and calling her for the past couple hours. Kathryn was dutifully ignoring her. She didn't want to talk to Annette right now. They would either fight or she'd end up giving in and she was in no mood to do either.

"Are you going to get that?" Sebastian asked giving a pointed look to her bag.

"Nope." Kathryn turned it off then did another line. "One more shot then let's get going."

Sebastian poured out two more then pulled a baggie of what looked like pills out of his jacket. "I procured a few party favors from Blaine."

She made a grab for them only for Sebastian to hold them out of reach, tucking them back in his pocket. "Ah no—not until we get there. I don't need you getting all sloppy before we're even out the fucking door."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the implication, but picked up her shot. "Here's to a night we'll probably soon forget."

Sebastian smile and lifted his shot in the air. "I'll drink to that."

* * *

Kathryn jerked awake to the sound of an ambulance siren. Her head shot off her pillow and frantically looked around, seeking out the source of the noise. It took her longer than it should have to realize it was coming from outside and was just part of the regular NYC morning traffic. Still half-conscious she reached for her sleep mask on top of her head only to realize she wasn't wearing one. Strange. She looked down and stared at the dark maroon dusk cover. Her gaze then traveled further along to find a row of books in front of her. She wasn't in her room.

She sat up abruptly only to instantly regret it. Everything hurt. Her head, her eyelashes, her hair. This was hardly the first time Kathryn had woken up in such a condition, but this felt ten times worse. What the fuck had she done last night?

She quickly took stock, realizing with rising dread that she was in Sebastian's room. Once again, not the first time she'd woken up there after a bender. It was however the first time she'd woken up naked.

Starting down at her very naked body she gasped, "Shit."

"Morning."

Kathryn jumped as she realized she wasn't alone. Sebastian was lying next to her, face half buried in his pillow. She gawked at him.

_No, no, no, no, no. This was not happening. There was no fucking way._

"What the hell happened last night?" she croaked. Her throat felt like sand paper. The room was spinning.

Rolling on his side to face her, the blanket shifted off his hips exposing his very naked self, Sebastian let out a husky laugh. "What do you think happened?" He leaned in and dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder. "I told you, we're fucking inevitable."

Kathryn was literally going to be sick.

"Oh my god."


	15. The Hangover

**Chapter 14: The Hangover**

* * *

_**I'm sorry for not responding but we need to talk. **_

_**Meet me at my place, 9am?**_

_**I'll make it worth your while.**_

Annette couldn't sleep. Ever since receiving Kathryn's texts, a few hours earlier she had been consumed by them and she couldn't seem to shut her brain down long enough to get some sleep. Which was a problem seeing as she had a busy day of campaign strategy meetings and gala planning ahead of her, not to mention a European history paper that was due the following Monday. She didn't have time to deal with her quasi-girlfriend's latest mind fuck. And yet here she was—4 am, wide awake, obsessively rereading her texts as if they contained all the secrets to the universe.

It was the _'I'm sorry'_ that she kept getting hung up on. Kathryn didn't do apologies. Something was up.

Maybe she went too far with her speech at the luncheon. She had intended to let everyone know that the money for the damaged equipment had been replaced and Helen had agreed to hold the gala, but the media presence, the announcement of the new coalition she was heading, were all last minute changes. Ones, brought about when Kathryn decided to be a child and blow off the whole event so she could go frolic on the beach with her brother/lover. And yes, the coalition had _technically_ been Kathryn's idea (that Annette helped her to develop) but if the shoe was on the other foot there was no question the brunette wouldn't have hesitated to do the same thing.

As much as Annette kept telling herself this, she knew she might have gone a step too far. Confirmation of this fact came when Kathryn didn't respond to a single text or phone call afterwards—until these infamous texts arrived in the middle of the night.

Now she was left to wonder what it all meant. She'd find out soon enough.

Annette never did go back to sleep. Instead she got dressed and snuck out of the house before the sun (and her father) got up. She took the train into the city after deciding against borrowing her father's Volvo. Knowing the man as she did, she didn't put it past him to have put some kind of tracker on it.

As the train chugged along bringing her closer to the city, she couldn't help but feel a little like a lamb being led to slaughter. There was no way Kathryn was just going to brush this little slight aside. She was most definitely walking into something. The question was, what was she up to?

The question was still plaguing her when she arrived in Manhattan a half an hour later. At seven am on a Sunday the city was quiet and almost peaceful, the warm morning sunlight bathed the street and skyscrapers in a gold hue, making the usual grimy exterior glow with new possibilities. Exiting grand central Annette headed uptown to a coffee shop two blocks from the Valmont townhouse. She contemplated going early, but cowardice got the best of her. If she was walking in on some kind of trap, she'd rather not rush into it.

She had some breakfast, several cups of coffee and tried to distract herself with phone calls and homework. Finally, at quarter to nine she headed out, arriving at the Valmont's ten minutes later. Staring up at the intimidating urban mansion, Annette felt her stomach lurch and she hated herself for it. How had this become her life? There once was a time she had been afraid of nothing and no one and now here, she stood ready to shit herself all on account of a teenage girl who might hurt her feelings. Sure, it was more complicated than that but not really.

"Get it together Hargrove," she ordered herself, before taking a deep breath and crossing 77th street.

After the doorman let her in, she squared her shoulders and prepared to do battle with Mr. fancy pants butler. Only he wasn't there. In his place was a small Hispanic maid who told her Kathryn hadn't woken up yet. Annette explained in her weak Spanish that Kathryn was expecting her. She let her go with a mere shrug, as if saying, _it's your funeral bitch_.

She made her way up the gilded staircase to the second floor where she found it empty. The Valmont home was always cold and museum like, but it felt extra chilly that morning. There was no sign of life anywhere as she made her way back to the bedrooms, anticipation and dread, building in her stomach with every step she took. Thankfully, Kathryn's parents and stepbrother weren't anywhere to be found. The last thing she was in the mood for awkward small talk and innuendo. Finally, she approached Kathryn's room and after hesitating a second she knocked softly. No answer. Annette sighed and called out, "Kathryn?"

When once again there was no response, she went for the door handle. It wasn't locked. Annette slowly opened the door and what she found made her breath catch. The room was empty and the bed was made. The maid had told her Kathryn was still sleeping so clearly no one had been in to make it and god knows Kathryn wouldn't know how to make a bed with a gun to her head so that left one obvious conclusion: Kathryn never slept in her bed last night.

Suddenly overcome with a rush of adrenaline, Annette strut over to the bathroom and threw open the door only to find it empty. Same with her large walk in closet. Kathryn wasn't there. Annette began to pace the bedroom. She could have fallen asleep in one of the many guest rooms or she could have—

Annette suddenly paused when she looked across the hall to the bedroom across the way. Of course.

"Mother fucker," she muttered to herself before taking off like a shot to Sebastian's bedroom. This time there was no hesitation. She threw open the door and suddenly everything made sense.

God, Annette hated being right sometimes.

Kathryn was in her stepbrother's bed, naked, tits out, hair mused. Beside her, laid an exceedingly smug Sebastian, the sheet riding low enough on his torso that there was no question he was equally naked as well.

"Why am I not surprised," she muttered.

It was the exact scenario she had been dreading most, the one she wouldn't let herself fully believe was possible, but here they were. Kathryn had gone and done the one thing she knew Annette could never forgive.

She expected the brunette to be wearing her trademark, smirk, taunting and cold, but instead she looked shocked and confused. In an odd bid for modesty she covered herself up, blinking rapidly as she ran a shaky hand through her hair. "Annette, I…"

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking Hargrove?" Valmont's arrogant tone rang out, "Or didn't they teach etiquette on the farm?"

Annette barely spared him a glance as she replied, "You should have locked the door, but I imagine that would have ruined the game." Folding her arms to her chest she sneered at her. "So, you finally got it done, huh?"

Looking away from her Kathryn muttered so quietly she could barely hear her, "I'm sorry."

Annette was too furious to let herself be swayed by whatever game she was playing. "Oh, come on Kathryn, why so modest? You clearly wanted me to witness your little adventure or else you wouldn't have invited me over."

Her head jerked up and she met her stare. "I didn't invite you over."

"I got your texts."

"I _didn't_ text you," Kathryn insisted. She began searching the bed for something, probably her phone.

Annette's gaze swung over to Sebastian. He smiled knowingly back at her and suddenly everything fell into place. Kathryn hadn't orchestrated this. _He_ had. She was going to be sick.

"I'd thought you'd want proof that I won fair and square."

Kathryn looked back and forth between them. "What are you talking about?"

Realizing she was about to lose the moral high ground, Annette's brain scrambled for a way to shut Valmont up before he spilled the beans but all she could muster was a stern, "_Don't_."

Sebastian's grin deepened and she knew it was too late. Turning to Kathryn he explained, "Well sis it's like this: your lady love and I made a little wager of our own. I bet her I could get you into bed."

Kathryn blinked at him as if she didn't understand what he was saying. "What?"

She looked back at Annette as if waiting for her to deny it. Annette let out a shaky breath. "Sorry baby, but I thought you were smarter than this."

The brunette recoiled back as if getting struck. Sebastian laughed as he reached for his cigarette's. "Aren't you going to tell her the terms?"

"Enough," Annette warned him.

"I think she has a right to know," he told her with exaggerated seriousness. "You see sis, if Annette won, I was going to pay for her education at Yale. Funny isn't it, if you had just kept your legs closed, all your problems would have been solved."

"Hysterical," Kathryn told him coldly. "And what did you get if you won?"

"What do you think?" he leaned in close to his sister, his expression taunting. "I get to fuck your girlfriend six ways to Sunday."

Kathryn looked back at her with a sort of exasperated disgust. She didn't look surprised. "Well don't let me get in your way." She got up from the bed, quickly snatching a robe resting on a club chair. She stormed past Annette without looking at her and slammed the door on her way out. Annette felt sick.

Sebastian laid in bed chuckling to himself, clearly unbothered by the damage he just caused. Annette could scarcely remember hating anyone more that she did at that moment. "Are you proud of yourself?" she asked scornfully.

Taking a drag of his cig he nodded. "As a matter of fact I am. This is some of my best work."

"You're disgusting."

"Sticks and stones. You made your bed Hargrove. Now come over here next to me and lie in it." He patted the mattress. Fists curling at her sides, Annette complied, coming to stand over him.

Sebastian sat up, putting his cigarette out. "So how would you like to do this? Should I shower first, or would you rather smell her on me when we fuck?"

Staring into his arrogant, taunting face Annette could only think of one appropriate answer to his question. Raising her fist, she punched him square in the face.

* * *

Kathryn needed alcohol. Actually, what she needed was some pain relievers and a nice hot shower, but history had taught her, the fastest way to get rid of a hangover was with a little hair of the dog. After the morning she had getting blind, passed out drunk didn't seem like the worst idea right now. Then again, that was precisely what got her into trouble in the first place.

She made a bee line towards the closest source of alcohol, the wet bar in the parlor, wincing with every step. Her whole body ached. Even her hair hurt. Kathryn was hardly a novice when it came to hangovers, but this felt a little excessive. What the hell had gotten into her last night (aside from the obvious)? Everything was still a blur.

Uncorking a decanter of brandy, she grimaced as the alcohol hit her senses and her stomach lurched in protest. She was about to call a servant to fetch her a bloody Mary when a shout rang out from the general direction of Sebastian's bedroom. He sounded like he was in pain. Good. Her girl had a mean right hook. Though, she supposed she wasn't her girl anymore.

Suddenly Kathryn was overcome with nausea. She couldn't be sure if it was on account of her hangover or the betrayal. Gripping the mahogany bar, she shut her eyes and tried to steady herself. Almost immediately she was assaulted with a barrage of vivid images.

_Sebastian and her drinking and laughing under flashing strobe lights. Techno music blaring so loud they couldn't hear each other._

_Making out in a graffitied bathroom stall. Sebastian's eyes, dark and sexy as he pulled away and slipped down on his knees in front of her. "When I'm finished you won't even remember her name."_

_Kathryn standing in the same parlor she was in now, with Sebastian's dick in her fist. _

_Sebastian tossing her on the bed and standing over her as he removed his shirt. Kathryn grabbing him desperately. They kissed wildly. She begged him to fuck her._

Jesus Christ, she realized with a dawning dread. She really had fucked him. A part of her was holding out some kind of hope that maybe this was all just an elaborate game of Sebastian's, that she hadn't actually gone through with it. But she couldn't ignore the truth.

Shame took hold of her then when she realized how thoroughly she allowed herself to be played by him. Despite the fact that she knew it was a game, a small part of her thought maybe some of it was real. She remembered him defending her to her mother and how fucking _grateful_ she was for it. But it was all a lie so he could win a fucking bet. He had turned her into a joke. And Annette _helped_.

Kathryn couldn't be sure if it was that revelation sinking in or if it was her hangover kicking in, but her nausea suddenly became too much to bear. She could feel the bile rise up in her throat. Kathryn quickly ran to the closest hollow object, which happened to be her mother's favorite antique vase, and vomited. Given some of her less than wholesome habits, you would think she'd have a fucking PHD in puking, but this was something all together different. With her purging, Kathryn had control and it was practically second hand so she could do it with minimal fuss. But this was violent and painful, her whole-body convulsed and tears streamed down her face.

She was so lost in her hell she hadn't noticed when someone came up behind her until she felt her hair being pulled back from her face and a comforting hand rubbing circles on her back. Without even looking she knew who it was. If she lived to fuck a thousand people, she would know Annette's touch anywhere. Part of her found it deeply comforting, the other part, well the other part wasn't so forgiving.

When she emptied everything her stomach had to give, she straightened herself out and wiped at her mouth. Almost immediately she wretched her body away from Annette. "Don't," she muttered, keeping her back turned so she would wipe her eyes as she headed back to the bar.

Annette didn't say anything for several loaded beats, but Kathryn could feel her eyes on her. She had a feeling she was waiting to see if she was physical okay before she tore into her. Like herself, she didn't have much patients. And as always, she went for the jugular.

"So how was it?"

"What?"

"The lay you've been creaming your panties about since you were thirteen. I found him wildly mediocre myself, but then again I've always been more selective than you."

Kathryn filled a tumbler of whiskey then set down the decanter with a hard thud. "Ooh slut jokes," she sneered sarcastically. She took a sip and winced as it went down. "It's a little early in the morning, isn't it?"

"Not when you climb out of your brother's bed without your panties."

Kathryn raised her glass in mock salute. "Touché. Spare me the self-righteous outrage Hargrove. You don't get to take the moral high ground when you're offering up your cunt as collateral."

She shook her head at her, the spiteful sneer disappearing. "How could you do it?"

"I'm guessing copious amounts of drugs and alcohol." Squeezing the bridge of her nose she admitted, "I'm a little fuzzy on the details at the moment."

As if on cue she was assaulted by yet another series of flashbacks.

_Sebastian burying his face between her legs as she cried out in pleasure. _

"_Are you terribly hard?"_

_Making out with Sebastian in the back of a cab, his voice hot and raspy against her ear. "You're going to get fucked __**so**__ hard."_

"That's convenient," Annette spat, pulling her from her thoughts.

Kathryn's eyes narrowed in anger at her hurt tone. "Are you seriously going to play the victim here?"

She let out a disbelieving gaff. "You cheated on me! I think I'm entitled."

"You set me up to cheat! That's entrapment!"

Annette rolled her eyes towards the ceiling and shook her head. It grated Kathryn to no end that even in the middle of a fight she could still be so perfectly composed. "Sebastian came to me with all this crap about you two belonging together and how he was going to steal you away. When I mistakenly told him he didn't have a chance he suggested the bet. I only went along with it because I never thought he'd actually succeed."

"That's horseshit," Kathryn exclaimed as she came tarring around the bar to stand in front of her, which was quite a feat as the room felt like it was spinning with every step she took. "If you honestly thought that, why not just tell me about the bet in the first place and collect your winnings? Unless of course you wanted to lose the bet."

"Excuse me?"

"I've seen the way you flirt with him. You claim to hate him but maybe the lady doth protest too much. Tell me the truth, you've wanted him this whole time, haven't you?"

Annette's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "Did you hit your head last night or are you still drunk? I can't believe I have to say this _again,_ but I have no fucking interest in Sebastian. Unlike you, I'd rather set myself on fire than have him touch me."

Deep down Kathryn knew this to be true, but she supposed it was easier explanation, the less painful one. "So, it was a test then, is that it?" When Annette looked away Kathryn sucked in a breath. "You wanted to see if I'd cheat on you. You don't trust me. You never have."

"I wanted to," she admitted softly.

"Bullshit"

"This is all moot anyway seeing as I was right. I can't trust you. Look, I admit it was fucked up to agree to the bet in the first place, but you make me so fucking crazy and every time I turned around there the two of you were. No matter how much I love you or fight for you it's not enough. You can't seem to get him out of your system."

"Oh, he's definitely out of my system now," Kathryn grumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"Why don't I believe that?"

"I was wasted, and he took advantage," she argued, but even that excuse rang hollow. This thing between her and Sebastian and had been coming on for a while now, long before Annette entered the scene. It was inevitable that it would happen sooner or later. Kathryn just assumed she'd remember it better.

Annette of course wasn't buying any of her excuses. "Were you wasted when you made out with him last week? Or when you decided to spend the day with him in Martha's Vineyard doing god know what? You can justify this any way you like princess but don't lie to me. You wanted him, drunk or not and you didn't give a shit if you hurt me. _Kathryn Merteuil always gets what she wants, no matter who she has to destroy in the process_."

That stung more than she thought it would. "You're quoting Sebastian's journal at me now?"

"It seems appropriate. I'm starting to think he wasn't as far off the mark with his assessment of you as I thought."

Kathryn wheeled back as if being slapped. "Fuck you. None of this would have happened in the first place if you had just stayed out of the fucking election. You promised me—"

"Oh my god, are you still on this?" Annette exclaimed, throwing her head back in exhaustion. "I had no choice. You know that."

"I could have helped you get a scholarship, hell I could have gotten you the money, but it wasn't really about that was it? You wanted the position, you wanted the power, admit it."

"Okay, fine, I admit it. I wanted student body president and maybe the scholarship was an excuse, so what?"

"You knew what it meant to me! And to top it off you stole my idea for the committee—"

"I helped you develop the idea," she reminded her, still calm and collected.

"The hell you did. You were pissed and _jealous_, so you stole it, along with my position, my friends—"

"Your stepbrother. Funny how it always comes back to him."

"I don't want him," she exclaimed. "I want you." Studying the blonde, a moment, Kathryn decided to switch tactics. They would get nowhere hurling accusations against each other. Softening her expression, Kathryn approached her. Reaching out she tenderly cupped her face. Annette's expression was guarded but her body easily melted against her own. "Do you still want me?" Kathryn asked quietly.

"Jury's still out on that one," she sighed.

Kathryn moved closer, dipping her head down to kiss her neck. "Do you still love me?"

Annette shuttered in her arms. "Yeah," she murmured softly. "You know I do."

She pulled back and smiled, wanting to kiss her but she knew she wasn't exactly at her most appealing right now what with the epic hangover and the vomiting and all. Apparently, Annette didn't care as she leaned in, closing the gap between them with a kissed her gently on the mouth. "Do you love me?"

Kathryn didn't hesitate. "Yes…but I can't be with someone who sabotages me at every turn."

Annette's brow crinkled in dismay. "I don't want to fight with you anymore."

She took a deep breath as if she was working up to something really hard. "I'd be willing to put all of this behind us, forgive and forget, but I need you to do something for me first."

"Anything."

"I need you to drop out of the race."

Annette sighed then kissed her again briefly, then pulled her into a hug. Kathryn smiled over her shoulder, thinking she'd won.

You would think she would have learned by now.

"Nice try," Annette whispered in her ear before gruffly shoving her away. Kathryn stumbled to the chaise behind her. For a brief second she feared she was going to get sick again but by sheer force of will she refused to humiliate herself any further. Tossing her hair out of her face she looked up to find Annette standing over her, all her earlier softness gone. "You never learn, do you? You still think you can play me like you do everyone else. I know you, remember?"

"You know shit," Kathryn spat rising to her feet. "I'm warning you now Annette. Drop out of the race or else."

"Or else what?"

"I'll consider it a declaration of war."

A slow, knowing smile crept across her face and as her eyes shown with a grim sort of determination. "Alright then. War it is."

* * *

"_War it is."_

Upon hearing those words Sebastian became so giddy he was tempted to punch the air in triumph. He didn't however because one, he wasn't a loser and two, he was in far too much pain at the moment to attempt it. Unlike his darling sister, blondie knew how to land a punch. He was likely to wake up tomorrow with one hell of a black eye, but it would be worth it.

When he could no longer hear their raised voices, he assumed Annette probably left. After all, there wasn't much to say after that particular gauntlet had been thrown down. Pushing off his bedroom door he stumbled over to the wet bar and proceeded to make himself a makeshift ice pack to tend to his wounded eye, practically whistling as he did it. His face felt like shit, he was still hungover, but Sebastian couldn't remember the last time he felt this good. He finally had those bitches where he wanted them. And it was only the beginning.

Holding the ice pack to his face, Sebastian began to consider his next move when something shiny lodged between the cushions of his leather cub chair caught his attention. Reaching for it, he pulled out a sparkly black dress. It was Kathryn's. Immediately he flashed back to the night before:

_Kathryn yanked the dress off her body and tossed it carelessly away over his shoulder. With a filthy grin she asked, "Where do you want it?"_

_He had flipped her onto her stomach and climbed on top of her, carefully removed her bra and kissed down her spine while she squirmed beneath him. Arching against him like a horny cat, she hissed over her shoulder, "Enough foreplay, fuck me already."_

"_Not until you beg."_

And oh god how she begged. If Sebastian lived to be a hundred, he wouldn't forget that delicious sound. Just thinking about the night before he got a hard on. Glaring down at his pants he told his cock, "Not now."

He'd have plenty of time for that later and now that he had his mojo back, he would have no problem getting laid. But first he had to figure out his next move as far as his girls were concerned.

Before he could give the matter any real thought, his bedroom door flew open and Kathryn stormed in like she owned the place. For once his sister wasn't looking her best. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes, making her appear more gaunt than normal. "Hey sis, how's it going?"

"_How's it going_?" she echoed in disgust. "How the fuck do you think it's going asshole?"

"I was merely being polite," he drawled, leaning against his desk. "Brotherly concern and all. You're looking a little road hard, put away wet. I think a spa day is in order."

"I wouldn't go around casting stone if I were you brother dear. You keep getting punched in the face and people will start to forget you used to be pretty."

Smiling sarcastically, he asked with a cool sneer, "Where's Annette?"

"Gone."

"That's too bad. I really thought you two crazy kids would make it."

Kathryn edged closer to him, arms crossed to her chest. "Cut the shit Valmont. What the hell happened last night?"

"Don't you remember?" Inflecting hurt into his tone he mocked, "We made love."

"Don't be gross. I barely remember anything from last night. Did you slip me something?"

Sebastian cocked a brow at the insinuation. "Are you seriously asking if I roofied you?"

"Are you seriously acting like you've never done it before?"

"I don't need to drug girls to get them to fuck me, thank you. I'll save that for some of your exes. Look, we both took a lot of shit last night. I told you to slow down but you were rather insistent."

Some of the fight left her as she said, her tone more somber, "I told you I didn't want us to fuck last night."

Sebastian let out a short laugh at this. "Wow, you really don't remember anything, huh?"

"Bits and pieces."

He wasn't surprised, hell he was counting on it. Edging closer to her he cupped her face, drawing her closer. "It wasn't exactly a seduction, sis." Sebastian took an odd sort of pleasure in reminding her of their familiar relation. "You were insatiable. You begged for it and I was happy to comply."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she shoved him off irritably. "Knock it off." Turning away from him she groaned, "God I can't believe you." Pausing, she swiveled around her face him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "It was all just a game wasn't it? Defending me to my mother, trying to help me with the election, this was all just part of your endgame to destroy me and Annette."

Sebastian smiled, lazy and cruel. "Of course it was." Pushing off the desk he circled around her, a shark circling its prey. "Did you honestly think, after everything you put me through, I would actually still want you? _Silly rabbit_."

"Apparently your dick didn't get the memo," she quipped.

"Get over yourself Kathryn. Sex with you was merely a means to an end," he replied with a haughty sneer. "A stepping stone on my way to a much greater prize."

"Your pathetic quest for revenge."

He shook his head. "Actually no. While it's true that was my initial intention, over time I came to realize there was something else I wanted more."

"And what is that?"

"Annette of course." He let the statement hang there for a moment as he drank in his stepsister's stupefied reaction. "Oh, come on sis, don't look so surprised. Surely you must have realized I never got over her."

"Since when? You've been plotting her demise ever since you found out about us."

He shrugged. "I'll admit, at first I acted out of hurt feelings. I guess it was easier to tell myself I hated her than admit the truth."

Kathryn turned her speculative gaze on him as she stepped towards him, arms crossed. "But the Annette you fell for, the wholesome girl scout who never had a dick inside her was a figment of our imagination. You fell in love with a fantasy idiot."

Sebastian smirked at the clear hostility in her tone. His darling sister never was good with competition. "Oh, I'm well aware. But this new Annette intrigues me. In some ways she reminds me of you only not so…messy and psychotic."

"Aren't you forgetting something? Annette hates you."

"Well you should know better than anyone there's a thin line between love and hate. I imagine after we seal the deal it's only a matter of time before she realizes we're a perfect fit."

Something he couldn't name passed behind her eyes, but her mouth remained in a thin, hard line. He waited for some nasty retort or quip and was a little surprised (and disappointed) when it didn't come. Instead, holding her chin up she exclaimed, "Fine she's all yours." Spinning on her heel she exited, tossing off over her shoulder as he did, "Enjoy your winnings."

"Thanks, I will!"

Kathryn slammed the door behind her and Sebastian let out a delighted laugh. He imagined she was likely throwing one hell of a temper tantrum in the next room. He pitied poor Mai-Lei having to clean up after her.

As exhilarated as he was feeling about his victory, his body was still exhausted from the night before. Sebastian crawled back into bed and pulled out his phone. Cozying up to his pillow he felt something brush against his fingers. Lace panties. Black. Another memento from last night. He held them up examining the skimpy no doubt expensive material, taking perverse delight in fingering the taboo garment.

As he ogled them, he considered his conversation with his stepsister. It was a lie of course. Oh, he'd certainly enjoy fucking Annette stupid, but he truly loathed the bitch and wished for nothing more than her sweet demise along with his darling stepsister. However, he knew Kathryn could never stand coming in second place to anyone. By spinning that bullshit excuse he all but ensured Kathryn would go after Annette until there was nothing left but a pastel sweater set.

Keeping the undergarment clutched in one hand he searched his phone for the video he recorded the night before. He panicked momentarily, thinking in his drunken state he might have erased it, but sure enough there it was, under 'Kat'. Sebastian hit play.

"_What are you doing?"_

_Kathryn flashed him a naughty, drunk grin as she laid across the seat of the taxi, resting her head in his lap. It wasn't really doing much to relieve his aching erection. Sebastian was starting to regret not letting her finish him off at the club. "Are you going to pass out on me?"_

_She shook her head and then reaching for his hand she placed it on her chest. "Touch me," she wined. Never one to turn down a tit grab, he slipped his hand into her slinky dress and groped her braless breast. Kathryn really did have perfect tits. High, and tight, a perfect handful with hard, eager little nipples made for biting. Sebastian rubbed a finger teasingly around her areola when an idea hit his cloudy brain. _

_Removing his hand he ordered her, "Touch yourself. I was to see you get off."_

_Her eyes flashed at the challenge and she giggled, a sound she would never make if she was sober. Rather than tell him to fuck off, she reached into her dress and began to message her breast. The tiny spaghetti strap of her dress slid to her shoulder exposing her. Sebastian shot a brief glance at the cab driver but his gaze remained diligently on the road. They were still on Crosby. Even with the relative lack of traffic they still had a good fifteen minutes before they got to 77__th__ street. _

_As she touched herself, Kathryn withered on the seat. She pulled her right leg up on the seat, letting her legs splay. Her free hand soon made its way between her thighs. Sebastian couldn't make anything out at first, the material of her short dress was blocking his view. He was tempted to yank it out of the way but he wanted to remain a voyeur. It didn't take long before she got really into it, fucking her hand in earnest. _

"_That's it baby," he purred at her, "Warm it up for me."_

_A wonton moan slipped past her parted lips as she arched against him, her head pressing against his crotch, taunting him. The cab soon filled with the scent of warm pussy. Between that and the wet smacking sounds, the driver had to know what she was doing. Sebastian absently wondered if he was getting hard._

"_I want you inside me," she panted, "It's all I've ever wanted. It's all I ever think about. Fuck."_

_Sebastian's brain briefly shut down at the admission and his cock seemed to get even harder. "Y-you have?" he choked out. _

_Kathryn nodded. Removing her hand from her cunt she brought her wet sticky fingers to his lips. Sebastian eagerly sucked her juices down to the knuckle. The familiar, tangy flavor was like the strongest aphrodisiac. _

"_Do you wanna fuck me here?" she reached back between her legs._

"_I wanna fuck you everywhere."_

_Her hips arched and she reached lower on her body. "Even here?"_

The video cut out just as Kathryn started to get really filthy. Damn i-phone. Sebastian supposed it was for the best. He was already close to coming in his pajama pants and his hand had been absently stroking himself the entire time. Unlike his sister, he wasn't likely to forget that night for some time to come.

It was a hot video no doubt. The golden girl of the Upper East Side getting herself off in the back of a taxi. People would kill to get their hands on it. However, Sebastian wasn't sure he was ready for his short film to make its world premiere just yet. Oh, sure it would be momentarily satisfying to release it, especially when Kathryn was already down, but something told him in this instance, patience was key. Sebastian had big plans for that video.

While he might have won this latest battle, he hadn't yet won the war. He wasn't so stupid as to think the girls would be defeated so easily. That said, now that they were broken up they'd be much easier to take down separately. He wasn't done with his girls yet. Not by a long shot.

For right now though it was time to take care of business. Reaching into his silk bottoms, he pulled out his throbbing cock and bloated balls. Chuckling at his own depravity he wrapped his stepsister's satin and lace panties around his erection and slowly jerked himself off. He hit play on the video once again. "Take me away sis."


	16. The Darcy Thing

**Chapter 15: The Darcy Thing**

* * *

_Lord save me from straight people._

Blaine arched one perfectly plucked brow as he observed Sebastian wear a hole in the dorm room carpet. He paced anxiously in front of him, chain smoking a Marlboro red with the same ferocity as an inmate on death row. Blaine was torn between amusement and mild annoyance.

As usual the problem causing him distress was the most idiotic thing imaginable. It was a small wonder Blaine put up with his melodramatic ass in the first place. Well, the truth was he had been tuning him out for the past five minutes, but he knew if he didn't show at least a modicum of interest he'd get all huffy and pout. And while it was true, no human being alive looked as attractive as Valmont when he pouted, Blaine really wasn't up for dealing with his hissy fit. With a bored sigh he asked, "So, what exactly is the problem?"

Sebastian paused briefly, casting an irritated glance at him. "The problem is," he huffed, his words as usual coming out clipped and precise, like strikes on a typewriter, "It's been over a week since they declared war on each other and nothing has come of it."

There was of course no need to clarify who he was talking about. Only one person he knew (other than Sebastian) was dramatic enough to 'declare war' like they were in an eighteen-century novel or something. "I don't know that thing your sister pulled in the caff a couple days ago was kind of brutal. Making that 'donation' to that children's charity and suggesting all of the other candidates donate as well, forcing the headmaster's daughter to have to own up in public that she didn't have the funds. Even I got second hand embarrassment."

Kathryn was a true cunt. It was nearly impossible not to adore her.

"Not that blondie didn't give as good as she got mind you. Watching your sister flail about as she tried to explain The New Covenant was one of the highlights of my year. I mean anyone who honestly thinks Kathryn Merteuil knows anything about Christianity probably has severe brain damage. That shit was priceless."

"Thank you for the recap Blaine," he drawled. "But let's face it, for the two of them that's amateur hour. They should be ripping each other apart, exposing each other's secrets. What gives?"

Blaine, who had been meticulously rolling a joint paused and regarded his oldest friend. It was times like these he honestly wondered if Sebastian was as intelligent as he thought he was. Perhaps it wasn't book smarts he lacked but rather a certain kind of emotional intelligence. He did after all fall for a girl after only knowing her a few weeks.

"They're in love," he explained as if speaking to a small child. "That shit doesn't just go away in a week."

Sebastian stopped pacing and stubbed out his cigarette. "I thought telling Kathryn I was still hung up on Annette would antagonize her further, but it doesn't seem to have taken."

"Or maybe she just doesn't care who you're in love with anymore."

Valmont's scoffed at this, looking mildly put out. Blaine flashed him a shit eating grin. It was endlessly amusing to him that Sebastian seemingly possessed no self-awareness. As much as he claimed otherwise it was painfully apparent, he was still hung up on his stepsister.

Turning away from him, Sebastian seemed momentarily lost in his own thoughts as he absently ran a hand over Blaine's homoerotic artwork. When he finally spoke, his tone was oddly soft but assured. "I know her.

"Do you?" he challenged.

"Kathryn can't stand losing to anyone. Perhaps I should up the stakes."

Blaine's cell buzzed next to him and he cast it a cursory glance. It was that junior he fooled around with last weekend. He was cute but gave lousy head. Maybe it was time to give Gregory a call, he'd been on probation long enough.

"…if I told her that Annette—"

"Do you really want to risk antagonizing her further. She might start _remembering_ things."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, like maybe the fact that you two _never actually fucked in the first place_."

Sebastian waved this idea away. "Please. She was so out of it, I could have told her you fucked her and she'd believe it."

Blaine pulled a face as he tucked the perfectly rolled joint into his Tiffany sterling silver cigarette case, alongside half a dozen others. "You know I'm kind of surprised you didn't just have your way with her after she passed out."

Sebastian had the gall to look affronted. "Jesus Christ, Tuttle even I have my limits. I'm not going to fuck a girl when she's comatose. Why does everyone think I'm some kind of perverted rapist?"

"It probably has something to do with that reputation of yours that you court so ruthlessly."

"It doesn't matter if we didn't technically fuck." He sank down in the leather desk chair opposite him. "We did other stuff."

As always, when sex entered into the equation, Blaine's interest in the conversation was fully piqued. Leaning over the desk he asked with a leer, "Oh? What kind of stuff are we talking about?"

Sebastian smiled sardonically. "I wouldn't want to bother you with my boring hetero shenanigans."

"Tease."

Valmont blew him a kiss and despite his annoyance with him, Blaine was charmed. Once upon a time, Sebastian was going through an experimental phase, as all pretty straight boys do at some point when the thrill of pussy starts to wane. At the time he was happy to lend his expertise (not to mention his body). While he wouldn't necessarily write sonnets about the experience, it was fair to say Sebastian's reputation in the sack was well earned. This was perhaps one of the reasons he was so inexplicably fond of the boy.

Unaware of his friend's musings, Sebastian let out a low growl as he pushed to his feet and resumed his annoying pacing. "I have to do something. I'm so fucking close to destroying them."

"Then what?"

"Then what, what?"

Sighing, Blaine removed one of his perfectly rolled joints and lit it. "Say you manage to bring them down. What happens next?"

Sebastian looked back at him like he was insane. He shrugged. "Then I celebrate."

"Yes." He leveled a pointed look at him. "_Alone_. Doesn't sound like much of a victory party to me."

His pretty puffy lips, parted and he let out a disgruntled huff. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

Blaine flashed him a knowing grin as he lit up and took a drag. "I'm on my side. Always."

* * *

"Kathryn what do you think of peonies for the reception?"

The question barely registered with her. It was as bland as the girl who was asking it. "Fine," Kathryn replied her tone flat.

If minion number three (Juliet, senior, brunette with good nose job) said something in return she didn't hear it. The accompanying low buzz of the lunchroom faded to white noise as her attention focused on the large picture windows on the far wall of the cafeteria that overlooked the senior courtyard. Through the smudged glass she watched Annette as she studied. She was sitting alone, by choice of course, her head deep in a stack of books, her attention laser focused on what she was doing. Kathryn was at once envious and deeply annoyed. She longed for some kind of genuine distraction. Her 'friends' weren't really cutting it.

They were in the middle of planning her victory party. Perhaps it was tacky given she hadn't _actually_ won yet, but she was way ahead in the polls and her victory was all but assured. Win or lose Kathryn no longer gave a fuck. Her head and her heart (or whatever it was that resided in her fuzzy subconscious) were no longer in the game. The only thing she could think about was the blonde in the courtyard.

The whole thing was beyond frustrating. This wasn't like her, this mooning around after someone. Yes, it was true she had been broken up with in the past, but it never left her feeling empty or god help her sad. Usually she was just pissed and vengeful. In those instances, she would achieve closure by destroying whoever wronged her and that would be the end of it. Logically she knew she had to just do the same with Annette and move on but try as she might, she couldn't let herself go there. Which for the life of her she couldn't understand. It wasn't like her relationship with Annette was ever meant to be a permanent thing. There were no hers and hers towels in her future plans. So why couldn't she just let this go?

Noticing her attention had drifted outside towards her supposed rival, the four other girls at the table looked back and forth between them, their eyes wide with curiosity. Selena, easily the boldest and most outspoken of the group, leaned in close, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief as she revealed in a loud whisper, "I heard little miss Seventeen magazine, spent all summer following after Greg McConnel. Can you imagine? Sarah says they're together like all the time. She's so over it."

Kathryn has to actively stop herself from rolling her eyes at this erroneous piece of intel. Ainsley as always, cast a brief bored glance up from her phone, while Olivia and Juliet leaned in close, eager to hear more. "I wonder if she's going to break up with him. The gala not to mention Homecoming is coming up…" Olivia mused.

"Hoping for any invite?" Juliet asked bitchily. "Dream on, you're not exactly his type."

"How would you know?"

This would have been an excellent time to tell them that neither of them was his type less they were packing something more interesting in their la perla's than their overheated pussies. Kathryn momentarily fantasized how these twits would react if they found out what was really happening with all these people they were gossiping about, but alas that was impossible. Instead she stayed silent as she twisted her rosary tight around her wrist until it cut into her skin. She tried to concentrate on that rather than their insipid conversation, but they just wouldn't shut up.

"…I'm telling you it's always the supposed quiet and religious ones that are the biggest sluts," Selena sighed as if it was all so tragic. "Ten to one daddy's little angel is fucking around to secure votes. What a pathetic—"

"Shut the fuck up Selena," Kathryn finally snapped.

The table went completely silent while four sets of wide eyes turned in her direction. _Damnit, what did she do?_ Ainsley was the only one who didn't appear shocked. Always the gatekeeper, she shot her a look as if to say, _get it together_.

Quickly slipping into a contrite expression she apologized, "I'm sorry, I just have a terrible migraine. I think I'm coming down with something."

Being the loyal little bootlicker she was, Selena quickly jumped to attention. "I have something for that," she told her rummaging through her purse and quickly producing a pill bottle.

She didn't need it of course, but she smiled and took some anyway. Luckily it gave her an excuse to retreat further away from the conversation. This time she purposely kept her gaze off the window as she listened absently to their mindless chatter about party planning. They were discussing table setting or some such bullshit when someone approached.

"…place settings at seven, eight inches apart is perfect acceptable," Juliet droned on. "I know—

"Well no one asked me, but I think eight inches in a good size," Sebastian seemed to appear out of thin air wearing his trademark sleezy grin. "At least I've never heard any complaints."

Kathryn allowed herself a brief eyeroll at his stupid innuendo while the other girls, save for Ainsley, all giggled in return. Without missing a beat, her second in command spat, "Not to your face."

"Funny, I don't recall you having a problem with it on Prom Night Ainsley."

She flipped him off. "Suck my dick Valmont."

"Is that a sincere offer…?"

Kathryn had nearly forgotten about the junior prom. Wanting to piss her off, Sebastian invited Ainsley to prom, and Kathryn had allowed it as she knew Ainsley was hardly the type to be swayed by Sebastian's charms. She even gave her permission to fuck him in the occasion arose (which they both knew of course it would). What nobody had counted on was Sebastian getting drunk and accidentally calling out _Kathryn's_ name when he climaxed. That had been an awkward conversation afterwards.

"_I call every girl by your name."_

Kathryn blinked at that sudden memory floated to the surface. _Whoa_. What the fuck was that? Before she could examine any of it too thoroughly Sebastian caught her attention when he asked the group, "Ladies, _and Ainsley_, would you mind if I talked to my sister a minute, in private?"

"Of course not," Juliet and Olivia chirped happily, getting to their feet. She desperately wanted to tell them to sit their asses back down, but she knew she had already had one slip up today, she couldn't allow another. Ainsley threw her a brief questioning look, but she just nodded in assent.

When the girls all took their leave, Kathryn let out a sigh. She had been doing her best all week to avoid spending any time with her stepbrother. The few times they did have to share the same space it was usually occupied with someone else, like their parents or classmates. She would pretend to ignore him, while Sebastian stared at her with that serial killer gaze of his. It was equal parts infuriating and sexy.

As he rounded the table and flopped down beside her, Kathryn let her voice drop to it's usual 'I-don't-give-a-fuck' register and asked with a bored drawl, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check on you," he remarked. "I'm getting the faint impression you're avoiding me."

"I can't imagine why. Look, you got what you wanted. Why can't you just leave me alone."

"Now, what makes you think I got _everything_ I wanted?" Sebastian's gaze bore in hers drawing a shiver from her spine. "Poor Kathryn, you're so tense." Suddenly she felt his hand graze the inside of her thigh and she nearly jumped. "Perhaps I can help you with that."

Kathryn quickly shoved his hand away. "We are in public," she hissed at him through clenched teeth. "_Jesus Christ_."

Having had enough she pushed up from the table and started out of the cafeteria. Sebastian of course followed quickly behind. "You are tense," he mocked. "In fact, if I didn't know better I'd think you were starting to lose it. Blowing off classes, skirting responsibilities, snapping at your minions."

Ugh, wonderful he was eavesdropping.

Pushing open the heavy mahogany and chrome doors of the lunchroom, Kathryn cast a brief poisonous look at him. "On the contrary, I just finished my college admission essay, I'm ahead in the polls and in two weeks I'll hold on to my title. It seems without…certain people around to distract me, I'm more successful than ever, so I guess I should thank you."

Sebastian didn't appear convinced. "And yet you look like you're ready to take the roof off this place. I think someone needs to get laid."

Kathryn glanced briefly down the hallway, making sure no one was listening, but the halls were practically deserted. "Your answer for everything of course. I hear you've been cutting quite the swath through the junior class. At this rate you'll have an STD named after you by the time you graduate."

He smiled sarcastically back at her. "You know I'd think you of all people wouldn't slut shame. Glass houses and all that."

"_I_ would never lower myself to banging a sophomore in the library stacks."

He paused and walked backwards so he could face her. Smirking he asked, "You heard about that?"

"Everyone heard about that. There's dust in there older than we are Sebastian."

"So, you don't object to the activity so much as the location?"

She ignored the question. "I take it you got over your little—affliction."

"I'm cured," he crowed. "Apparently fucking you was the cure all along. Who knew?"

"Congratulations"

Sebastian stopped abruptly in front of her, placing a proprietary hand on her waist. Something about his touch sent a shockwave through her body, like a bolt of electricity or a line of coke. Suddenly she was assaulted with a host of unwanted memories and sensations.

_Sebastian pressed up against her as they made out._

_The rough glide of his tongue as it pressed inside her cunt._

_The flash of a grin as he looked up at her from between her thighs._

"_Oh god, holy fuck, I'm coming…"_

"_I call every girl by your name."_

Kathryn gasped as she recalled the overwhelming sensation of climaxing on his tongue: how her body convulsed so hard she thought she was going to fall over, it lasted so long she feared passing out. She never thought anything could rival Annette's oral skills, but she had but sorely mistaken.

It was too bad he was such a fucking shithead.

"You know," he murmured, his low seductive tone clashing with the mocking smirk on his face, "I might be able to help you out with that. Lend you a friendly hand. I'm a little booked up at the moment, but since you're desperate I might be able to move a few things around, provided of course you beg."

She sneered at the implication, before shoving his away and resuming her strut down the hall. "Piss off," she hissed over her shoulder.

"Oh, come on sis, you do it so well. I always knew deep down, you were a needy slut."

At that Kathryn stopped. A million insults formed and died on her tongue. They could trade banter for days, but it won't change anything. Sebastian will continue to hold what happened between them over her head just as she always knew he would. Well fuck that. It was time to remind her darling brother who he was dealing with.

Turning around on her heel she stalked back up to him. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she dragged him into a utility closet. Sebastian stumbled back into a rack of cleaning supplies, letting out a surprised huff of laughter while she locked the door behind them. "What are you…?"

With no preamble she straddled him as he half sat on the sink. "Shut up," she ordered, tone cool and in control as she wound his tie around her fist and yanked him forward until his mouth was a hairs breath away. She delighted in the soft gasp that fell from his pouty lips. "Always running your mouth, with nothing to say. You need to learn to only speak when told to brother dear."

Before he could spit out a curse at her she closed the gap between then, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth. Kathryn could feel his erection starting to stir to life against her ass. She ground down against it earning a low groan from him.

"W-what is this?" he murmured, gaze hooded and unfocused.

"Oh, I'm just reminding you where you belong," Kathryn swiveled her hips, "In the scheme of things."

Sebastian's hands gripped her waist as if he was warring with himself whether to push her away or not. "Get off," he ordered, his tone in sharp contrast to the need on his face.

"You first," she taunted. "I know you can feel me through those flimsy pants of yours, I know you can feel my heat all the way to your balls."

"Oh god…fuck you…"

She laughed, reaching for his belt she deftly unfastened his pants before pulling free his leaking cock and bloated balls. Wrapping her fist around him she smacked her lips together as she studied his pretty dick. "You're right. Nobody's going to complain about this."

Sebastian whimpered then unconvincingly tried to cover it with a cough. Meeting his gaze she taunted, "Now how shall we do this, slow and sensual or hard and rough? Never mind, I know what my boy likes."

Gripping him even tighter Kathryn began to jerk him off with rapid, gruff strokes, his cock became harder in her fist as she did. Her thumb swiped over the pink/purple head, rubbing the precum into the length of him. Her free hand cupped and played with his full balls. Sebastian's jaw was clenched, his glazed over eyes staring over her shoulder like he was afraid to look at her. She wanted to kiss him, taste his tongue on hers but she didn't. She did not trust herself when they were like this.

Instead she leaned in and nipped at his neck, earning a hiss. It occurred to her then he wasn't touching her. Glancing down she noticed his hands gripping the sink he was sitting on. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who didn't trust herself.

Her years of experience has taught her how to tell when a man was about to cum. There are the usual signs: balls draw up tight, breathing becomes especially ragged, and he gets that particularly stupid look on his face. Sebastian was no different. He didn't announce it, but she could tell in the way his hips began to buck urgently into her hand and his eyes shut as he winced like he was in pain. She knew he was close so that's when she struck.

Loosening her grip on his cock Kathryn stopped stroking him then grabbed his balls and squeezed. Sebastian's eyes shot open, immediately finding her. "What the fuck?" he gasped.

"I'm sorry," she cooed sweet as pie, "Would you like to cum?"

"What the hell do you think?" His hips arched against her as if he was trying to get himself off.

"Then _beg_."

Realization dawned on his face and he shook his head, his body trembling from need. "Fuck you."

She laughed, low and taunting. "I don't think so. Come on Sebastian, you want it, you're so close." Kathryn stroked him teasingly. Then just to rub it in a little more, she moved up further on his lap and pressed his throbbing dick against her silk covered pussy. He whimpered, looking down where their crotches were meshed together. "Give it up for me baby."

He growled sounding almost feral. When he spoke, she wasn't sure he was even aware of it. "Fuck, please Kathryn. Please let me cum."

She laughed lightly. "You're so pretty when you beg." Kathryn grabbed him by the face and told him in her best authoritative tone, "You can stick this in as many sluts as you like but know this: it will always be _**my**_ cunt you crave, _**my**_ name on your lips, _**my**_ face you see when you cum. Never forget brother dear—I fucking own you. Always have, always will." Letting go of his balls she resumed jerking him off. "Now cum goddammit."

With a savage roar he came. Warm, sticky jiz erupted all over her hand and bare thigh. As he trembled against her, breathing hard like he just ran a marathon Kathryn released him and climbed off his lap. Sebastian awkwardly tucked himself away and she brushed him aside, cleaning off the mess he made in the sink before straightening her skirt and sashaying out of there without another word.

As she left the utility closet (taking care of course to make sure she wasn't seen) Kathryn strut down the hall feeling better than she had all week. She felt powerful and in control, she felt like herself.

She headed into the courtyard and was immediately greeted by the cooler weather signaling fall was finally in the air. It felt refreshing on her overheated skin. Letting her eyes sweep the busy open space, she spotted Annette, still diligently studying. The sight of her ex dimmed her good mood. _Fucking hell_. Kathryn took a seat at a table in the back corner, it was far enough away she could observe the blonde in peace without being noticed.

She was just pulling out her phone when Sebastian appeared unwanted again. Dropping down beside her, he sprawled out lazily. His uniform was rumpled, and he smelled vaguely of sex. "You're nothing if not predictable," he drawled, gaze on Annette.

Kathryn shot a quick pointed look to his groin and remarked, "Ditto."

He sneered at her then looked back at the headmaster's daughter. "Annette is looking good these days. I'd say your breakup is agreeing with her."

Not willing to give him the satisfaction of a response she asked bored, "Have you fucked her yet?"

"No, but something tells me it's only a matter of days." Smiling at her he added, "She doesn't strike me as the type to welsh on a bet." Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I'm thinking of taking her to the gala. Perhaps I'll make my move there."

"Your move?"

"You know, tell her it's been her all along."

She cocked a brow at this. Kathryn wondered if he actually believed she bought this bullshit about him still being hung up on Annette. She knew him. More importantly she knew him _in love_. She got a first hand account of it this summer and this, whatever stupid game he was playing now, clearly wasn't it. However, she wasn't going to tell him he was full of shit. Better to let him think he was miles ahead.

"It's not going to happen," she told him airily.

He turned to her. "Oh? Care to make a—"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence," she warned.

"Afraid you'll lose?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," Kathryn sighed, suddenly exhausted. "I'm just sick of your bullshit."

Sebastian leaned in until his mouth nearly brushed her ear. "Then you should probably keep your hands off my dick—_sis_."

Kathryn had to admit he made an excellent point.

* * *

_But you see however fondly it ended, it began in the selfish and cruel wish to make your heart ache for me without letting mine ache for you._

Annette read and reread that line several times, but with all apologies to Thomas Hardy it just wasn't sticking. Especially not with her (ex) girlfriend watching her from across the quad. How could she be expected to focus on her assignment when Kathryn Merteuil was eye fucking her?

Alright, maybe it wasn't eye fucking, but it sure as hell felt like it. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. Either way it was distracting. Annette of course was studiously pretending she hadn't noticed, barely looking up from her book and notebook. It was only when she looked up occasionally to catch a glance at the large clock on the brick building did, she notice Kathryn out of the corner of her eye. She didn't need to see her to know she was staring. She felt it goddammit.

Up until that point she had been doing pretty well. She hadn't thought of her all day. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration. She had thought about her a lot less. Her full lineup of classes and school activities had for the most part kept her mind preoccupied, but somehow Kathryn had a way of creeping into her thoughts even at the most inopportune times.

But during her free period, she decided to get a jump on her literature assignment, and she was making progress until she glanced up and saw Kathryn entering the quad. It was the first time she'd seen her all day. There was something in her expression that caught her attention. She looked smug, maybe even a little triumphant. Annette's first thought of course was that she had pulled another petty, stupid stunt like that trust fund charity or whatever. Before she could consider it too closely, Sebastian made his entrance. He looked annoyed. His usual swagger was missing. His clothes were rumbled. Immediately she began to suspect that something had gone down between them. Suddenly she could no longer concentrate on _Jude the Obscure_.

When had this become her life? Prior to this summer, Annette had zero interest in romantic love. Sure, she enjoyed sex and getting laid as much as the next horny teenager, but it was hardly the driving force in her life. She had goals and ambitions, things she wanted to accomplish. Now, all of that seemed like a dim memory as she couldn't go ten minutes without thinking about Kathryn and what she was doing and who she was doing it with. She didn't even need to be present to garner her attention. Everything would be so much easier if she could go back to not giving a shit. Instead she was going silently out of her mind trying to figure out what the stepsiblings were talking about so intently.

"What's with Greg and Marcia?"

Annette glanced up at that familiar voice, shielding her eyes from the sun as Ronald Clifford came into focus. His eyes twinkled with their shared in joke as he glanced over at Kathryn and Sebastian. "My guess? They're likely discussing the cultural merits of _Flowers in the Attic_," she quipped.

Ronald's face broke into a grin. "Or the latest episode of Game of Thrones."

"Ugh, I think I'm out of incest references."

"That's probably a good thing," he laughed taking a seat beside her at the stone table. Annette hadn't wanted company but at the same time she didn't mind. She had talked to Ronald a few times since that Manchester benefit and she genuinely liked him. He was a good guy, lacking the pretensions of most of the males at Manchester and she didn't feel as if she had to constantly be on guard with him or play the part of the innocent headmaster's daughter. Not that he had a clue about the real her anyway.

Leaning forward, his expression turning more somber, he told her, "You know I get it. Seeing your ex on a daily basis sucks. You keep thinking it's going to get easier, but it doesn't."

That was encouraging. Annette knew he thought she was mooning over Sebastian and normally she'd correct that assumption, but she realized no matter who he thought she was in love with, it didn't matter. They were still in the same boat.

"I'm sorry about Cecile. Her mother still won't let you guys see each other?"

"Nope," he grumbled, clearly irritated. "The racist bitch, doesn't want her around boys like me."

"She actually said that?"

"I believe her excuse is I'm too mature for her."

"But Court Reynolds isn't it? That's bullshit."

"That's Bunny Caldwell." He sighed squeezing the bride of his nose, clearly frustrated with the situation. "She knows someone who sits on the board and she's threatening to have me expelled if I so much as talk to Cecile."

"Jesus, that sucks. Is she still trying to set her up with Court?"

"Who knows? But Court doesn't want anything to do with Cecile."

What he didn't say was that while he didn't have to worry about Court anymore, he did have to contend with every other male in Manchester who Cecile smiled at. Apparently, Kathryn's plan to corrupt Cecile into becoming the school slut, was a rousing success. The young sophomore was taking to her new found sexuality like a duck to water. And she wasn't exactly being subtle about it. There was a rumor she got caught pulling a train in the senior dormitory's, but Annette didn't know how accurate it was. Either way the girl was earning herself quite the reputation, not that Ronald seemed to care any. Clearly the lad was still holding a torch for her.

"You seem like you're doing okay," she remarked. "I heard you got early acceptance into Julliard. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he replied, not seeming terribly thrilled by it. "But, uh, the truth is looks can be deceiving. But hey, I guess you can get through anything if you have to right?"

She nodded then cast a brief glance in Kathryn's direction. She had shifted so her back was now to her, but she was still chatting with her stepbrother. Annette sighed. "Tell me something Ronald, do you ever get tempted to say screw it and go to her, even though you know it will only lead to trouble?"

"Every damn day."

Annette looked over at him curiously. "How do you not give in?"

"I remind myself what I'd be giving up if I caved in to those desires. Sure, I may love Cecile now, but who knows what the future will bring? It's not worth it to throw away all that hard work for something that maybe isn't meant to be, so I just remind myself what I'm really here for and try and put it out of my mind." He shrugged. "And if that doesn't work there's always excessive masturbation." Immediately he cringed, as if realizing what he just said. "Shit, I'm sorry Annette."

She waved it off, smiling. "The only problem with that is you run the risk of carpel tunnel syndrome."

He laughed. It was a loud laugh, filled with warmth and it made Annette's own smile grow wider. It also grabbed the attention of the stepsiblings. Kathryn looked over at them curiously while Sebastian got up from the table and headed into the building. As he passed by his gaze locked on hers. He leered then blew a kiss. Annette's earlier good humor quickly vanished.

"You're a surprising girl Annette," Ronald mused. "He doesn't deserve you."

"On that we agree."

The question was, did Kathryn?

* * *

These women were going to be the death of him. Between Kathryn giving him hand jobs in the janitor's closet and the ever increasing sexual demands of the Manchester female body, Sebastian was exhausted. He had every intention of blowing off last period and heading home where he'd enjoy a massage from Isabella followed by a shvitz. He started texting Isabella when he looked up and noticed something disturbing.

Between classes the hallways ran rampant with unruly students, eager to get finished with their last class of the day so they could get the hell out of there and get on with their real life. Everyone was chattering loudly, slamming lockers, dashing this way and that. Everyone that is except Annette Hargrove.

Leaning against her mahogany locker she was staring intently across the way at a small gaggle of girls. No surprise, Kathryn was the center of it. He had noticed the blonde sneaking brief glances of his stepsister earlier in the quad and hadn't thought much of it. This however was different. There was a certain determined glint in her eye like she was trying to psych herself up to do something. _Shit_. This can't be good, he thought.

The two of them should be at each other's throats by now, not making go-go eyes and sulking in corners. Sebastian had a feeling if he didn't intervene soon, all his work will have been for naught.

Just as he thought she would, Annette was soon heading down the corridor and starting towards Kathryn's group. Sebastian immediately jumped into action, crossing her path before she could get too close. Upon spotting him Annette rolled her eyes in annoyance and then held up a hand. "Save your breath Valmont. I'll pretend you're saying something repugnant and misogynistic and you can rest assured I'm revolted. Are we done here?"

He cocked an amused brow. "Do you often have imaginary conversations with me? I'm flattered."

"Go away." She tried to brush past him to get to Kathryn who had taken notice of their conversation, but Sebastian blocked her path. Annette let out a tiny, frustrated growl. "Seriously, don't you have anything better to do other than annoy me? I'm sure there's some brain damaged female around here who's dying to listen to your inane prattle. I know, how about Sophie. She's been moping about ever since you fucked her and never called again."

"Sophie? Sophie?" he pretended to think. "Oh yes! Lovely girl, nice tits but only does missionary. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Annette rolled her eyes and once again tried to brush past him, just as the final bell sounded and everyone left in the halls started to scramble. Before she could make her getaway, Sebastian grabbed her by the arm. His expression went serious as he told her, "Don't do it?"

Yanking out of his grip she demanded, "Do what?"

They both looked up just as Kathryn passed by them, casting a brief glance their way before disappearing into a nearby classroom. "She's not worth it, believe me."

"Mind your own business Valmont."

Slinging her leather mini backpack higher on her shoulder, she started down the hall, but he followed after. "What are you going to do? Crawl back and beg for forgiveness? Mine as well just hand over your dignity now. I thought you had bigger balls than that Hargrove."

She paused then swung back around, her pretty face pinched in annoyance. "Do you really think you're in any position to cast aspersions on my choices? You're the one clearly still hung up on her after all the shit she put you through." Annette edged closer to him, so she wouldn't be overheard by the few students still milling about. "You're telling me that if Kathryn told you she loved you and wanted _only_ you, that you wouldn't jump at the chance to have that?"

For some reason her words sent a small electric shock through his system that went right to his throat. He pictured Kathryn coming to him and making that confession, kissing him, needy and hungry. Her eyes swimming with a kind of warmth and affection he always secretly sought from her. For a brief moment he had trouble swallowing much less replying. _Jesus Chris, not nowt_. Sebastian quickly shoved it away and scoffed. "Of course not. There might have been a time when I…felt something for her, but I learned my lesson. The hard way. Unlike you I have no interest in going back for seconds."

"Then I feel sorry for you."

Growing frustrated he exclaimed, "Are you seriously telling me you're going to wave the white flag? She cheated on you. With _me_ of all people!"

Annette glanced around the hallway, but it was now officially deserted. "Not that I owe you an explanation, but I wasn't exactly innocent in any of that. If I chose to reconcile with Kathryn, it's none of your fucking concern Sebastian. And by the way, I'm well aware you're only budding in because you're hoping Kathryn and I will engage in some epic war and eventually destroy each other. It's not going to happen. Sorry to disappoint you asshole, but you're going to have to get yours kicks elsewhere."

Once again, she turned away and he knew there was no way to convince her save for a possible hail Mary pass on his part. As it so happened, Sebastian did in fact have one he'd been sitting on but had been reluctant to use up until then. Well, apparently there was no time like the present. "Jesus Christ," he exclaimed, "She's just using you. Can't you see it?"

Annette turned back to him, a mocking smile on her lips. "Aw, come on Sebastian you can do better than that."

Ignoring her he pressed, "Do you honestly think you're the first girl she's seduced into being her pet? Hmm?" The smile slowly disappeared off her face as he continued, "Wake up sweetheart you're just one of many. Kathryn may love dick, but what really gets her off is breaking girls like you down until you're nothing, but love starved little puppies. Desperate for any scrap of attention that she'll give you. She doesn't love you. She doesn't love anyone. It's the control she loves, the power that comes with breaking down all your walls and making her the center of your universe until all you know is her. Does any of this sound familiar?"

"You're wrong," she told him, but her voice had lost all of its certainty.

"Am I Annette? You keep telling me you know her, but the truth is you have no clue what she's really capable of. Do you have any idea how many of her castoffs she's had me deal with? As soon as she grows bored or they get too clingy or they overstep some imaginary boundary that's when she has me step in. I seduce them and ruin them until their too fucked up to retaliate or remember who it is that truly screwed them over. I play the bad guy and she walks away scot free."

She was silent for a minute, absorbing this information, clearly trying to piece together how it fit with the girl she knew and loved. If Sebastian had to guess, it was all hitting a little too close to home. However, she wasn't about to admit that. Squaring her shoulders her gaze narrowed as she huffed, "Still blaming her for all the horrible shit you pull. Poor Sebastian, nothing more than an innocent male who was corrupted by Kathryn. Save it asshole I'm not buying it. So Kathryn screwed around with other girls and played games with them, who cares? That has nothing to do with us."

"You honestly believe that?"

Annette rolled her eyes by way of answer before brushing past him. Sebastian let her get a few feet away before calling out. "If you don't believe me, then why don't you ask your friend Darcy."

That of course stopped her dead in her tracks. Sebastian had to stop himself from smiling as she swung back around to face him. "What does she have to do with any of this?"

"Oh, come on Annette, seriously you cannot be that naïve." Strolling up to her he explained, "You honestly think a girl that beautiful and sparkly, a girl so fabulous she could make _Page Six_ just by leaving her house, you really think Kathryn didn't know her? Please. Darcy was Kathryn's _masterwork_."

"You're lying."

"You know I'm not. Look if you really don't believe me, ask around. They were most definitely friends. I was the only one who knew they were more. You see, Kathryn had been dating some dickhead Neanderthal who she found out was cheating on her with the infamous Darcy Van Ryan. She wanted me to take her down and I agreed. I had known Darcy since grade school and I had my own score to settle with her. So, we headed to this party at Spence one night. However, as soon as Kathryn got one look at beautiful blond Darcy, dancing on tabletops, center of attention and everyone's fantasy, she knew she had to handle this herself. It took less than a week and Darcy was hooked. She fell hard for my sister and when Kathryn got bored, she asked me to help finish her off."

Annette seemed to absorb this. "You're telling me Kathryn is responsible for her—"

"In a way yes. Look, in all fairness, I don't think she thought she was going to swallow a bottle of pills and slit her wrists, but I also don't think she gave a shit either way. She was done with Darcy as soon as she tossed her to me."

Sebastian studied her face, looking for any trace that he was getting through to her. Annette refused to meet his eyes as she stared down the hall, her expression mute. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Maybe because I don't want to see you end up in Bellevue."

"That's touching Valmont, but somehow I don't buy it. You're working some angle here."

"We all are." This time she looked back at him curious. "It doesn't make it any less true. Ask Darcy if you don't believe me. At the very least talk to her before you go making any decisions regarding Kathryn."

"Thanks for the advice." Turning on her heel she walked away and this time Sebastian let her, satisfied that he had most likely gotten through to her.

Glancing down at this watch he realized he was a good ten minutes late to American literature. Sebastian sighed and decided to blow it off. He was in no danger of failing, Mrs. Crabapple loved him. Instead he'd go smoke a joint out by the football field and they follow up on the girls to make sure no reunions were in danger of taking place.

Sebastian made his way towards the exit when he felt someone come up behind him and cover his eyes. "Guess who?" a female voice purred in his ear.

Coming to a stop he tried to place the familiar husky drawl but came up blank. "Hmm, someone gorgeous with a fetish for blindfolds." She let go of him and he turned around to find Regan Charles standing behind him, hand cocked on her hip. Sebastian smiled. "Oh, look at that I was right."

She rolled her blue eyes. "Ever the charmer Valmont."

Regan was one of his regulars. She was kind of slutty, but fun and usually up for anything with anyone. Tugging on her waist he gave her his best grin. "I haven't seen you around in a while baby."

"Yeah? That's probably because you've been _seeing_ everyone else. Word around the campfire is you've been a busy boy lately. I heard you got caught giving some junior anal in the nurses office."

He shrugged. "I've been making up for lost time."

She cocked a brow at this. "I wasn't aware you were out of circulation."

Sebastian forgot that his summer with Annette had mostly been on the down low, with everyone assuming he was just slutting it up in Europe for the summer. He decided to go with that. "I went international this summer, I was recuperating. What have you been up to?"

"Not much." She pulled a joint out of her cleavage and waved it around. "Want to go spark up?"

He had been looking forward to a little peace and quiet, but one doesn't turn down Regan Charles. One look at her long legs and that short skirt hiked four inches above the regulated length and he knew he had no choice. "Why not?" he sighed, holding out his arm for her to pass.

She sashayed past him, leading him down the hall and around the corner. When she stopped at the same utility closet he visited earlier with Kathryn he frowned. "Not here."

Her brows shot up, but she shrugged. "I didn't take you as the delicate type."

"The smell of bleach makes me gag."

"And yet you went down on Carly Frasier?" She laughed, crossing the hallway to an abandoned classroom. They locked the door and they smoked the joint, just bullshitting, killing time before they were both ready to get to the dirty stuff. Regan wasted no time slinking down to her knees and unfastening his pants. As her hand wrapped around his half hard cock and stroked him, he suddenly flashed back to earlier that day and Kathryn's violent jerk off.

"_I know you can feel me through those flimsy pants of yours, I know you can feel my heat all the way to your balls."_

Sebastian shook it off and tried to concentrate on the beautiful girl in front of him. When her hand couldn't get him fully hard, she resorted to her mouth. Try as he might to force his stepsister from his thoughts, she wormed her way inside.

_You can stick this in as many sluts as you like but it will always be __**my**__ cunt you crave, __**my**__ name on your lips, __**my**__ face you see when you cum. Never forget brother dear—I fucking own you. Always have, always will._

"Shit," he growled when he felt himself starting to deflate. Frustrated and desperate, he grabbed a handful of Regan's red hair and forced her further down his cock. It did no good. He had completely lost his hard on.

Shaking his head in dismay he exploded, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

* * *

The Canterbury school was a two hour drive from Manchester. Nestled in the sleepy town of New Milford Connecticut, surrounded by giant oak trees and bordering the Housatonic river it felt as close to idyllic as one could get if they were looking for a perfect WASP boarding school.

Driving past security Annette let out a breath. She had a momentary flare of panic when she approached the school, afraid she wouldn't be let in. But then she remembered she was driving her father's car, which had faculty stickers on it and just as she suspected, they waved her through without a second look.

Annette parked, then removed the letter from her bag. It was from Darcy and she had received it nearly a month ago. She felt a pang of guilt for never responding to it, but at the time she had been far too wrapped up in Kathryn to give it more than a passing glance. Re-reading it, Darcy talked about how she was doing better and attending a new school. She sounded like her upbeat and easy going self and not the fragile barely there girl she had encountered in the hospital. She dearly hoped nothing had changed.

Darcy had requested that she come visit her sometime, gave her the address to her dorm and everything. After Sebastian had told her about Darcy and Kathryn's supposed shared history, she realized it was time to take her up on that offer.

Leaving the car, she walked through campus, taking in the stone architecture around her. The school didn't look all the different from Manchester and just like Manchester it boasted many well known attendees such as John F Kennedy and Joseph Campbell. Still, just touring the campus it seemed to lack some of her school's charm.

It took her a little bit to locate the dorms. Of course all she had to do was drop Darcy's name and everyone knew who she was talking about. From the sounds of it she was the same fun loving party girl she had been at Oakwood.

Annette eventually found her dorm only to discover she wasn't there. Discouraged, she began to wander around campus, thinking about her next step. Perhaps she should text Mrs. Michlack for Darcy's number. She was crossing the lawn, typing into her phone when she heard a familiar howl.

"ANNIE!"

Whirling around at the nickname that only two people on earth dared to use, she turned just in time to see a whirlwind of blond hair and long legs come hurtling at her. As always, Darcy hit her with nothing short of a full tilt hurricane. She came barreling at her, knocking her to the grass with her enthusiasm. "I can't believe you're here!" she squealed peppering her with playful kisses.

Annette laughed under her attention, realizing how much she missed her explosive excitement. Darcy had a habit of acting like a hyper puppy when she was in a good mood or really high. Flinging her wild mane of hair from her face, she sat back, still giggling. "You're really here?" she asked, her husky voice breathless.

"I'm really here," Annette replied squeezing her hand. "God Darcy, you look amazing."

She pulled a face as she always did when issued a compliment on her looks. "I'm a fucking mess." She pulled at her stockings. "I have a rip and my bra is currently being held together with a safety pin. But you!" She cupped her face with both hands and sighed, "You're still so beautiful."

Annette was pretty. Darcy Van Ryan on the other hand was on another level. She was easily the most beautiful girl Annette had ever seen in real life. She had done a Abercrombie ad when she was twelve and walked in two high profile runway shows, before deciding she didn't have the motivation not to mention attention span for modeling At nearly six feet she was just as tall as a model and just as thin, but had the kind of natural curves women would pay dearly for. Her face was lovely, the highlight being her big open smile and emotive eyes. For all of that though, what everyone loved about Darcy was her hair. Long blond and usually in tangles it had a tendency to get caught on things, fingers, zippers, etc. It made her look wild and otherworldly, like she escaped from another time or planet.

Sitting back on her hunches, Annette observed her ex with unabashed affection. She was still the same Darcy. Still impossibly loveable and stylish even in her school uniform. Although on Darcy it didn't look like a uniform when she accented it with tan sued knee high boots, a low hanging men's tie and a short vest. The girls at Manchester wished they could be so effortlessly chic.

Jumping to her feet, she helped Annette up. Grasping her hands tightly they locked eyes and for a moment Annette wondered if she was about to kiss her. With Darcy one could never tell. Instead she pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so happy you're here," she whispered against her neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she murmured back, feeling a pang of guilt that she hadn't kept in better touch. It worsened when they pulled apart and she realized Darcy had tears in her eyes.

"Shit." She whipped at them with the hem of her shirt and laughed. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Ignore me."

"Always an impossible task."

She laughed again then grasping her hands jumped excitedly in the air. "Oh, I know! Let's go back to my room. I just got in some absinthe we can have a reunion like old times."

"Er…it's a little early in the day for me," Annette hedged. "How about we go for coffee instead."

Darcy effected a pout before breaking into a smile. "Boring. But that sounds nice."

They headed off to the student center in the middle of campus, grabbing coffee from a cart. Walking arm in arm, coffee in hand, with the fall leaves crunching under foot they caught up on each others lives. Darcy talked excitedly about her latest adventures (with Darcy they were always adventures) and the trouble she seemed to get into daily. Listening to her Annette realized for the first time that Darcy was in fact Kathryn's polar opposite. Kathryn was refined in her dress and her attitude, every single move calculated and considered, every emotion buried under a thick layer of near impenetrable ice. A cipher that refused to be solved. Darcy on the other hand was pure wild child. Messy and chaotic and beautiful. Desperate to be loved and give love in return. Open to anything and anyone.

"So enough about me." Reaching across the stone bench they were sitting on she squeezed her hand. "Tell me about New York! Is it everything you hoped? In Manchester really the den of iniquity it's purported to be? You know the secret school motto is 'if you don't snort it, suck it' right?"

Annette shook her head. "I believe it. New York is amazing and school is good, I mean it's _a lot,_ but I anticipated it would be. I'm on track for Yale if I can secure the funding."

"Is your dad still insisting you attend farm town university?"

"You know it. He won't pay for a dime of my education to anywhere other than Kansas U. But it's okay, I have a line on a scholarship."

"That's good! I like to think of you doing big, important things." She giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah me to. So, what about you? It sounds like you're doing better than…the last time I saw you."

The smile fell from Darcy's face and she stared down at her coffee. "Yeah, uh I guess I wasn't at my most fabulous the last time we talked. Truth is, I don't remember a lot of the hospital. Was I really bad?"

She shook her head. "You just seemed a little…lost, I guess."

She cringed. "That's a nice word for it. I was messed up, but I need to tell you, I never meant to take my own life. That was an accident. I was just so fucked up."

"Over that video."

Darcy sighed. "It wasn't just the video. Truth be told that was a long time coming. When I got back from Oakwood, I was partying hard and then I got involved with someone and it fucked me up. I didn't know who I was anymore."

Annette wasn't sure whether to be relieved by this or worried. She was almost afraid to pry further but she knew she couldn't back down now. "Darcy, I know Sebastian Valmont was the boy who posted that video."

She rolled her eyes. "Guess word travels fast. Was he bragging about it or something?"

"No. I just recognized him from it. Can I ask you, did you know his sister Kathryn?"

Darcy didn't have to say a word and Annette got her answer. It was written all over her face. Her eyes took on a haunted quality as she answered quietly, "Yeah, I knew Kathryn."

Annette took a breath. "How well?"

She ran a hand through her hair and stared off down the long stretch of green lawn littered in leaves. "Not as well as I thought I did. Shit."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to—"

"No, no I want to. I've never really talked about it with anyone." Darcy took a deep breath. "I met Kathryn at a party. I was a little out of it, as always," she laughed, but it didn't meet her eyes, "And then in walked this girl. Annie, I swear to god she was the prettiest thing I ever saw. Like this doll my grandma used to have. She was so smart and sophisticated, I felt like such a clumsy loser around her. Everyone always talked about Kathryn in these hushed tones, they worshipped her and I was no different. And when she signaled me out, I never felt more special, you know."

Yeah Annette did know. All too well. "Were you guys involved?"

Darcy gave a shaky nod. "Oh yeah. I mean, I'd been with girls before, obviously," she gestured to Annette, "But this felt different. Before it was always for fun but with Kathryn it felt intense, meaningful. I told her everything, all my secrets. I felt appreciated, loved…" Darcy trailed off, her eyes staring back into the past. "But then she got distant. Suddenly it was hard to get her on the phone and she was always cancelling plans. I knew she was seeing other boys, but I thought it was just for show. She's so important. I knew she couldn't have it get out that she was involved with me, I got it but this felt deliberate. Anyway, I was hurt and when Sebastian started paying attention to me, I decided to sleep with him to make her jealous. Turns out the joke was on me. Two days later, Sebastian released our porno tape. I went to Kathryn and tried to beg forgiveness, but she just laughed. 'Dummy, who do you think made the video in the first place?'

Annette shook her head, trying to get this straight. "Wait, you're saying _Kathryn's_ the one who made the video?"

"Yep..it uh…Turns out she never loved me, it was all a game. I have her boyfriend a hand job a month before at some party and this was her revenge. She told me she could never love a slut like me and slammed the door in my face." Biting her lip she gave a rueful shake of her head. "I was so incredibly stupid."

"No," Annette insisted, anger mounting. "You trusted the wrong person is all. Anybody could do it." Clearly someone had.

"After that I started partying even harder and fighting with my parents. I don't even remember what happened that night with the razor. The next thing I know I woke up in a hospital, under psych watch."

"It was that fucking bitches fault," Annette muttered, gripping the stone bench in anger.

"It was a lot of things. Kathryn was just a symptom of a bunch of shit going on in my head."

While she imagined there was some truth it that, it didn't absolve Kathryn of guilt. She deliberately set out to destroy Darcy, then lied about it to her. Annette also couldn't escape the similarities in her own relationship with Kathryn. The petite brunette had a habit of using people for her own twisted means. She wondered if she really was just one of many. Had she loved her at all?

"Hey, are you okay?" Darcy touched her arm, her face pinched in concern. "You look pale."

Annette nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…a little headache. Um, I need to use the restroom."

Darcy pointed back towards the stone building. "Right through those doors on the left." Annette got to her feet, but Darcy grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Hey, when you get back, I want to hear all about this hottie you're seeing. Guy or girl?"

Annette smiled warily. "I'll keep you in suspense."

Striding away, her smile dropped when her back turned. Putting her reunion with Darcy on the mental back burner, she considered her next plan of attack. There was no way she was going to let Kathryn get away with what she did to Darcy, not to mention how she blatantly lied to her about it. Princess Merteuil wanted a war? She'd happily give her one.

Stepping into the student center, Annette pulled out her phone. Scrolling through her contacts she found a number she'd never actually used before and one she wasn't sure how it ended up in her phone in the first place. Dialing it she sighed, waiting until a squeaky female voice answered. "Hello?"

"Cecile? It's Annette Hargrove. I need to talk to you."

"About what?" she asked, sounding confused.

"It's about your good friend Kathryn. There's some things you need to know."


	17. The Schadenfreude

**Chapter 16: The Schadenfreude**

* * *

"Are you lost?"

Sebastian slumped down on the stool across from his sister. With a weary sigh, he pushed his signature Oliver Peoples shades to the top of his head and rubbed his hungover eyes. "What are you talking about?" he grumbled. "I'm enrolled in this class."

Kathryn looked up from her phone just long enough to cast a brief unimpressed once over in his direction. "You could have fooled me. You've attended, what, one class since the semester started? Why ruin a perfectly good record?"

He sneered at her, but it was halfhearted at best seeing as he was still feeling the effects of last night's whiskey and cocaine fueled pity party. She did have a point, however. Sebastian never came to this class, mostly because it was _art_ class, but also it was the only other class he shared with his stepsister. It was on account of the latter he was putting in an appearance today. He had been avoiding Kathryn since the _incident_ the day before and he didn't want her to think he was avoiding her because anything she had done or said affected him in anyway.

Which of course it had in the most unfortunate of ways.

Interestingly enough Sebastian had no problem conjuring a hardon when he thought back on Kathryn's fucked up little speech. He had briefly considered finding Reagan and having a do-over, but his pride wouldn't allow it. If he used the memory of Kathryn to get him off it would only be proving what she said true and that simply couldn't be.

Fuck that shit.

Sebastian's thoughts were interrupted when the teacher, Mrs. Cavendish, began clapping loudly to get her students attention. He winced and once again regretted getting out of bed that day. "Alright everyone, let's settle down and get started." The teacher's gaze swept across the room pausing on him momentarily. "Well Mr. Valmont, nice of you to join us. Is there a special occasion I'm unaware of?"

Sebastian merely responded with a two finger salute. She gave him a wry smile and proceeded on, explaining the assignment that he barely paid attention to. Cavendish was pretty much the stereotype for a high school art teacher. Mid-thirties, with ta wild mane of soft unkept brown curls running down her back. She always wore long floral dresses streaked with paint and large clunky jewelry that looked like it came from a street fair. Half the students called her by her first name, Marie and the other half just called her Cavendish. She was a flaky, but beloved institution at Manchester and one of the few faculty members Sebastian didn't mind.

While most teachers would be content to run slideshows of famous works and engage in discussions about brush work and form, Cavendish was more into having them actually produce art, like they were children doing finger painting in grade school. It was awful, but a requirement to graduate which was why the less artistically inclined students put it off until senior year.

The quiet buzz of Kathryn's phone drew his attention back to his stepsister. She discreetly looked at her incoming text and smiled. He wondered what she was up to.

"Alright, so I want you all to finish up on the assignment from last week," Cavendish explained, her gaze sweeping around the room slowly, making eye contact with everyone. "I have to go fetch some supplies from Mrs. Novak's room. I'll be back in fifteen. When I return I'll expect to see your finished projects. Remember, don't concentrate on the craftsmanship so much. I'm not looking for Picasso. I'm looking for your truth."

She made her exit and the room once again, became a light buzzing of conversation. Kathryn flipped open her notepad to reveal a half-finished work. It was surprisingly not bad. Sebastian's was blank.

"So," Kathryn picked up a piece of black chalk and examined it. "I heard a rumor you were caught with your face in Regina Charles pussy yesterday."

Sebastian cocked a brow, curious how she found out but not surprised. Kathryn knew all. Regina wasn't the type to blab and the janitor who found them merely told them to put their pants back on and get the hell out. Taking a piece of chalk out of her collection he proceeded to absently sketch. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing at all, but I'd rather you not bring any _more_ venereal diseases into the house."

"Funny, I said the same thing to my father when he married your mother."

Ignoring the dig, she continued, "You do know she gave the lacrosse team crabs last year, right?"

"Hmm…I thought that was you. You know sis you kind of sound jealous."

"Please. I'm just continually impressed by your escalating depravity. Once again you bring honor to the family name."

"Blow me."

Kathryn cast a brief glance at his crotch and smirked. "No thanks."

Her phone once again buzzed and this time she eagerly picked it up and responded. "Who keeps texting you? Don't tell me you made up with your partner in rug munching?"

Sebastian sat up a little straighter in his seat, suddenly worried Annette decided to wave the white flag after all. _Tell me you didn't pussy out Hargrove_.

"It's Jack Donnelly," she told him. Sebastian let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Court's best friend?"

"The one and only," she crowed looking entirely too pleased with herself. "We're going out this weekend."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Really scrapping the bottom of the barrel."

Kathryn's gaze narrowed. "He's second cousin to the Rockefeller's."

"Oh no, I was referring to him scrapping the bottom of the barrel with you."

He gave her a shit eating grin and she responded with a sneer. Sebastian could tell by the way her shoulders rolled back and the defiant jut of her chin that she was gearing up for some kind of verbal takedown, but then she abruptly drew back. Something over his shoulder grabbed her attention. Sebastian turned just as Cecile Caldwell came stomping into the room making an immediate beeline for Kathryn. Her eyes were streaked with tears and her expression was quietly furious. _This should be good._

His stepsister got up out of her seat, a look of fake concern washing over her face. "Cecile what's wrong? Are you—"

She didn't even get the question out before Cecile responded with an abrupt and violent slap across the face. It was so loud the room responded with an audible gasp. Sebastian, hangover forgotten, sat up straighter in his seat anticipating a show.

Kathryn grasping her cheek regarded Cecile with shock and barely concealed rage. _Nobody hits me_. He knew from experience how his stepsister reacted to being attacked. However, as she was in public and had a reputation to uphold, there would be no wild punches thrown that afternoon.

"You bitch," Cecile spat at her, voice high and verging on hysterical. "You slept with Ronald!"

Quickly getting her bearings, Kathryn tried to take control of the situation. "Cecile, of course I didn't."

"Liar! You lying bitch. I know you had sex with him. How could you?" A fresh wave of tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed, "I thought we were friends?!"

"We are friends," Kathryn replied, her voice calm and cool.

The younger girl began to advance, forcing Kathryn to back away. "You told me to have sex with Sebastian, you told me to sleep with as many people as possible to make Ronald happy. You turned me into a slut!"

"Cecile, I-I think you need help. You're not making any sense."

"You did this to me! You did it to hurt Court, so he'd break up with me. I know you did!"

Kathryn shot a brief look in Sebastian's direction and he could tell she was trying to figure out how Cecile knew all this. It wasn't hard to deduce. It wasn't him obviously, because Cecile would just point it out if it were. Ronald wasn't going to rat on himself and Court had no way of knowing. No, there was only one other person who knew about Ronald and Kathryn's hook up. Apparently, Annette talked to Darcy after all and from the looks of it, World War III was about to break out.

_About fucking time._

"Cecile, I don't know where you are getting this information, but I never said anything of the kind. Why don't we go somewhere private where we can talk?"

The younger girl shook her head, her jaw clenched in rage. Turning, she looked around the room wildly, searching for something before setting her sights on a cannister of red paint. Without warning she emptied the entire thing—on Kathryn's head.

"Go to hell!" With that Cecile stormed out of the room, brushing past a very surprised Cavendish staring slack jawed at the scene in front of her. She wasn't alone. Half the room was gawking in stunned silence, the other half was snickering. One of their more industrious peers was recording it on his phone. Kathryn meanwhile just stood, covered in pain, quaking in silent fury and humiliation.

It was everything Sebastian could have hoped for and more.

Laughing, Sebastian leaned in and tutted, "Once again bringing honor to the family name, _sis_."

* * *

"Oh my god!" Siobhan waved her hands around dramatically as she laughed loudly. "I can't…I can't…Let's watch it again!"

Annette giggled, but acquiesced, replaying the video on her phone. She had viewed the video easily twenty times since it dropped a couple hours ago, and it still had yet to get old. Watching Kathryn get paint poured over her head was comedy gold and while Annette might have preferred a more nuanced, less juvenile form of revenge, she'd be lying if she said it wasn't supremely satisfying.

When she talked to Cecile the day before, the younger girl had been skeptical at first, swearing up and down that Kathryn would never lie to her like that. It took Annette damn near two hours to convince her. Even afterwards she wasn't confident Kathryn wouldn't be able to sweet talk her way back into the little moron's good graces. It wasn't until that video went viral and rumors began to swirl about Kathryn fucking Ronald, that Annette realized she had underestimated Cecile. Never in a million years did she think she would confront her publicly, let alone in such loud, abrasive manor. For once Cecile Caldwell's obnoxiousness worked in her favor.

Unfortunately, Cecile was shrieking so loud in the video, it was barely audible what she was accusing her of. In lieu of credible information, there were rumors flying all over the place about what really went down. Cecile and Kathryn were lovers. Kathryn stole Ronald away from Cecile. However, the one gaining the most traction involved Cecile having some kind of metal breakdown. This one was likely started by Kathryn's minions, so naturally it was the most prevalent.

"Well that settles it," Siobhan announced, turning the video off. "You have this election in the bag."

"You think?"

"Girl please, nobody's going to vote for Merteuil's phony ass once they get a look at that video."

Annette thought she was being a little naive. The students and faculty at Manchester might be a bunch of hypocrites, but they weren't about to cannibalize their most beloved queen on account of some flimsy, barely coherent accusations brought about by a slutty sophomore. It was a nice thought though.

"I don't know," Annette sighed, her gaze sweeping across the busy cafeteria. It felt like half the students were looking at their phones. "People have short attention spans, not to mention there's already rumors going around that Cecile was on some kind of anti-psychotic medication."

Siobhan rolled her eyes. "That's just Kathryn's damage control. It won't stick."

Annette was about to argue otherwise, but before she could get a word out, Court walked by their table, phone in hand. "Did you guys see this shit?" He flashed them his phone which sure enough was playing the video. "I think I watched it at least twenty times."

"I can top that," Siobhan snickered. "_Thirty_."

His gaze flickering back to the screen Court sneered, "Just goes to show you, karma comes for everyone. Bitch had it coming."

"Amen," Siobhan sighed.

His ugly tone made Annette's hackles rise. Something that felt suspiciously like guilt caught a little in her throat when she saw how _pleased_ Court was by all of this. Kathryn might be a manipulative liar, but Court wasn't any better and given the fact that outside of having his 'virgin' taken away from him, he hadn't had any kind of retribution come his way for his treatment of Kathryn. It annoyed her greatly that he had the balls to talk about karma.

Studying the arrogant, undeniably handsome boy, Annette was struck by something that hadn't occurred to her until now. Court clearly hated his ex and according to Kathryn he knew a great deal about her secrets. So why hadn't he made any of it public? How come he wasn't screaming at the rooftops that Kathryn was a psychotic bitch? Hell, he had referred to her as a bulimic headcase when discussing his ex with Cecile but never mentioned her by name. The only explanation Annette could draw was that Kathryn had something on him. She wondered what it could be. Court seemed like the kind of amoral asshole who had all sorts of skeletons in his closet.

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Court saddled up to Annette. Leaning against the table he offered up his smarmiest smile that she was sure was a panty dropper for a certain type of girl. Luckily, Annette was not that type of girl. Court was a poster boy for the sort of toxic masculinity that made her want to vomit or stab something.

"So, Annette do you have a date yet for the gala?"

_Fuck my life_. Court had been low key coming after her ever since things fell apart with Cecile. Annette had been polite, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up. "Possibly. My boyfriend Trevor might be coming to New York that weekend," she lied. "I really miss him. I haven't seen him since the beginning of the summer."

Court's expression fell momentarily, and she thought she saw a flash of irritation in his expression, but he quickly hid it behind an easy going smile. "Cool. Well if your plans fall through, would you keep me in mind?"

"Of course Court," she replied with a fixed grin. "You'll be the first person I call."

As he walked away, Annette let the smile fall off her face even though she could feel Siobhan's eyes on her. "I thought you and Trevor were on a break?"

Was that what she had told her? Sometimes it could be hard to juggle the lies. "We are," she replied coolly.

"Then why don't you give him a chance? Court's hot, your stock would definitely rise if you showed up with one of Kathryn's ex's."

"I'd rather gargle glass, thank you."

Siobhan laughed. "Fair enough."

Eager to change the subject she asked, "What about you?"

Playing with the straw of her Frappuccino she shrugged coyly. "I'm in the middle of weeding out the applicants."

"Any interesting candidates?"

"A few." Leaning in, her green eyes growing in intensity she revealed, "Actually there is something of a dark horse in the running. Unfortunately, he doesn't realize he's in the race yet."

"Anyone I know?"

"As a matter of fact…" Siobhan nodded across the room and Annette followed her gaze. She was genuinely shocked at who she was implicating. "_Ronald Clifford_?"

Siobhan slowly smiled. "Uh huh."

"Wow"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" she asked, her tone verging on offended. "He's hot, he's smart and he's a total gentleman unlike half the apes we attend school with."

"You're not wrong," Annette agreed. "Ronald's certainly I catch, I just didn't think he was your type."

Ronald was handsome and smart, but he didn't exactly run with Siobhan's crowd. He didn't party or put a premium of superficial things. From what she could tell, Siobhan tended to like boys who were flashier, charming but shallow. Honestly, she was surprised she wasn't trying to land Court herself. Ronald meanwhile seemed to spend most of his time studying and practicing his music. Right then he was sitting with a couple other low-key students, talking quietly in between eating his lunch and reading a book. Absently she wondered if Ronald's race played a factor in any of this. Manchester wasn't exactly rolling in diversity, perhaps there was an appeal to finding someone in the same small boat. Then again, knowing Siobhan as she did, and going by the wide range of boys she consorted with, she doubted it.

"Besides, I thought you wouldn't be caught dead with one of Kathryn's cast off's?"

"Do you really think he slept with Kathryn?"

"Does it matter?"

Turning her gaze back on him she smiled slowly. "For a boy that fine? Nope."

Annette laughed, still unable to wrap her head around Siobhan being into quiet unassuming Ronald. "Well, have you talked with him at all?"

She sighed and shrugged. "A little. We're in AP bio together. He's friendly, but I get the distinct feeling he's still hung up on that dipshit ex of his which I totally don't understand. The girl is the equivalent of a Katy Perry song only more grating."

Annette stifled a laugh. "Well something tells me after what she pulled today Cecile might not be around for much longer. Maybe you should try again."

"Maybe or…" Siobhan turned to her, a small calculating smile on her lips. "You could help me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You guys are friends, right? Or at least you talk to him sometimes." Picking at the salad in front of her she continued, "I saw you guys talking in the quad the other day."

"Yeah we talk sometimes."

She studied her a beat. "Do _you_ like him?"

"No, no," Annette was quick to reply. "I mean he's a great guy and he's certainly a better option than _Court Reynolds_, but I'm kind of busy at the moment with…Trevor."

"Great. So, do you think maybe you could hook us up?"

Annette grimaced at the prospect. "I don't know Siobhan. I don't know him that well and like you said he's—"

"Please!" she begged, playfully tugging on her hand. "Please do this for me. I really need a nice boy, I'm sick of dating these assholes who only want to get me on all fours." Annette cocked a brow at that. Siobhan smiled. "You know what I mean. Come on Annette, please?"

It wasn't like she begrudged Siobhan a boyfriend, but the idea of her getting involved with Ronald made her a little uneasy. Siobhan knew none of her secrets, she still thought she was the goody-goody straight virginal headmaster's daughter. It wasn't like Ronald knew her secrets either, but he knew about her connection to Sebastian (or thought he did at least) and it felt too close. She didn't want to lose Siobhan. She was one of the few people at Manchester she genuinely liked. However, it would be a dick move to deliberately keep them apart. Annette sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll talk to him."

"Yes!" Siobhan leaned over and hugged her excitedly. "I can't promise anything though."

She waved her off. "Just get me in the door and I'll do the rest. Thank you, Annette, and for services rendered I'm going to make sure you win this election…even if I have to rig it myself."

A voice behind them spoke up. "You just might have to."

Annette and Siobhan turned as Sophie appeared, dropping her books on the table with a thud and an ominous comment. "What are you talking about?" Siobhan sighed, "Thanks to Cecile Caldwell, we're about to have this thing wrapped up."

Sophie's big blue eyes went wide in her heart shaped face as she looked back and forth between them. "You don't know? Shit." She rubbed her temple looking stressed. "Um, I hate to break it you, but Kathryn's video is old news."

"Since when?"

"Since these started circulating."

She thrust her phone at them and Annette's breath immediately caught in her throat when she saw what was on it. It was a picture of her and Sebastian at the Rosemond estate, sitting under a tree, kissing. Annette immediately flashed back to that afternoon after they visited the nursing home and Sebastian tried to seduce her on the lawn. She let him get as far as kissing her before pushing him away. Apparently, they had an audience that afternoon and whomever it was had a camera.

_Fucking Kathryn._

"What the hell?" Siobhan exclaimed, "What is this?"

"There's more. Swipe left."

Annette did as instructed and sure enough there was another photo only this one was from later that same night. It was taken right after Sebastian gave her that ridiculous speech calling her a hypocrite, telling her he was leaving for the rest of the summer and Annette pretended to be all chagrined. This pic was much more suggestive. They were making out against the bed, while her hands worked to open his pants.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

The sneaky bitch must have taken it while she was hiding in the closet. Had this been her plan all along, to eventually use it against her?

Before Annette could really consider any of this, Siobhan spoke up. "What the hell Annette?"

Ignoring her she turned to Sophie. "Where did these come from?"

She shrugged. "Nobody knows, they just started popping up on social media from some dummy account. I guess the obvious answer is Sebastian."

Annette highly doubted it. This was all Kathryn. The pictures themselves were suggestive but not racy (especially by Sebastian's standards). Just enough to hint at the possibility that Annette wasn't as pure as she pretended to be without outright proving she fucked Sebastian. Glancing around the lunch room she noticed more than a few eyes trained her way. This was a warning shot. Well played Merteuil.

Ignoring the girls questioning looks, Annette gathered up her things and got to her feet. "Hold up." Siobhan, grabbed her arm. "Care to explain why you're making out with Sebastian Valmont, a boy you claim to not have met a few weeks ago?"

She really had no interest in having that conversation right now. Not when there was a certain student body president in desperate need of an ass kicking. Casting a brief apologetic look Siobhan's way, she told her, "I'm sorry, I'll explain later but right now I need to take care of something."

Or rather someone.

* * *

Kathryn was on her third shower and the goddamn paint still had yet to completely leave her hair. She was going to have to make an emergency visit to her hairstylist, but first she'd had to put on a presentable front. While she had every intention of sneaking out of school as soon as Ainsley arrived with her newly pressed uniform, she couldn't risk anyone seeing her not looking completely polished. After the humiliation she suffered, anything less was unacceptable.

Throwing her luffa against the shower wall, Kathryn let out a tiny shriek of frustration, the sound echoing off the walls of the locker room shower. Once again, her humiliation played over in a loop inside her head. Once again, she fantasized how she was going to make that little psycho Cecile Caldwell and her cunt of an ex pay for making her the laughingstock of the school.

Fortunately, thanks to the headmaster, Cecile was all but taken care of. Seeing as she assaulted her, with a room full of witnesses no less, that automatically required suspension with the possibility of expulsion. According to Ainsley (who had been keeping her updated with frequent texts) the little nit wit kept going on about how Kathryn was to blame for her excessive slutiness. No one of course believed a word out of her mouth, including her tight assed mother. Cecile was to be shipped back to the convent from which she came. Good riddance.

As for her darling ex, her demise would likely not be as clean or easy. Annette was no dippy sophomore who Kathryn could destroy with a flick of her wrist. She was every bit as ruthless and conniving as herself. Her takedown would have to be slow and calculated. She had already initiated phase one of her plan with the photo drop. Ainsley had informed her people were already speculating that her so-called virginity was a sham and she was secretly hooking up with Sebastian. Give her another couple of weeks and Annette Hargrove would be nothing but a distant memory to everyone as Manchester.

She just wished that included herself.

Something inside her stomach lunged as she thought about the blood bath that was sure to come. It wasn't going to be pretty and when it was over with, anything they shared would likely be destroyed forever. She'd be lying if she said that didn't make her feel a little sick. Despite the fact that she wanted to run her pretty little blond head through a brick wall, she did still love Annette. That hadn't changed. Unfortunately, it looked like she no longer felt the same way.

It hadn't taken her long to decipher Annette was behind the incident with Cecile. Kathryn wondered what she had done to provoke such an attack. Sure, they were at 'war' but so far, they had just taken minor swipes at one another. It was almost playful really. But this was brutal and precise. Annette wasn't fucking around anymore.

"I'm going to miss this view."

Kathryn whirled around in surprise, nearly slipping on her ass in the process. Annette stood behind her on the threshold of the shower wearing the regulation plaid skirt, a white button up and knee highs, her blond hair in a ponytail and her lips stretched into a wry smirk.

Recovering from her surprise Kathryn demanded, "How the hell did you get in here? Coach Roberts is under strict orders to keep everyone out."

"She was distracted by some firecrackers going off in the gym." Her gaze lazily roamed over her naked body. Eyeing the red paint circling the drain she remarked, "It looks like the first ten minutes of _Carrie_ in here."

Kathryn rolled her eyes upwards. "Ever hear of privacy?"

Annette cocked a brow. "Baby, I've had my tongue in your ass. I think we're long past modesty."

Growing increasingly annoyed with the conversation (and Annette's ability to remain cool and composed) Kathryn shut off the water and exited the shower, purposely letting her wet hair smack Annette in the face on the way out.

"Real mature," she grumbled.

Kathryn grabbed a towel and called over her shoulder, "Have you come to apologize?"

"For what?"

She rolled her eyes once again, before turning back around, towel now securely wrapped around her. "Don't play coy, it's boring. I know you're the one who sicked Cecile on me."

Annette smiled, her eyes becoming sharper. "Damn right I did."

Kathryn wasn't sure why she thought she would deny it, but she was none the less taken aback by the obvious relish she was taking in telling her. "Why?"

"What do you mean why? You wanted a war Kathryn. I'm just giving you what you asked for."

"Bullshit. You crossed the line. What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Not to me…to Darcy."

_Fucking hell._

She should have known. Kathryn had been waiting for this particular shoe to drop for quite some time. Even still she wasn't quite prepared for the vitriol in Annette's tone when she hissed back at her, "You do remember Darcy, don't you? The girl you claim never to have met. She tells a different story."

Kathryn considered how to play this. She could try to deny it, but that seemed fruitless. She could beg for forgiveness, but that wasn't her style. Instead she decided to say fuck it and do what she did best: go for full tilt bitch.

"Of course I know Darcy," she replied, inflecting her tone with boredom. "_Everyone_ knew Darcy if you get my drift. Your little friend really got around."

"As much as you seem to?" Annette countered. "You know, I always knew you were fucked up, the drugs, the purging, the weird attachment to your brother, but I didn't think you were capable of something like this. Darcy loved you and you used that to destroy her. Thanks to you she almost died Kathryn. Do you even care?"

Kathryn shrugged. "Not really."

Annette's mouth actually fell open and she looked so astonished Kathryn could do nothing but laugh. This of course only served to piss Annette off further. "Are you seriously laughing right now?" she demanded. "Sebastian was right, you are a fucking monster."

Her laughing ceased and she was suddenly overcome with anger. "Oh, get real. I'm laughing because you are such a goddamn hypocrite. If it was _anyone_ else, you'd be cheering me on, hell you'd be laughing, but because it's your ex, a complete coincidence by the way, suddenly I'm a monster? Fuck you."

Refusing to be chastised Annette looked upwards and asked, "Are you seriously going to play the victim now?"

"No, I'll leave that to Darcy."

Annette stepped towards her and she could see her thin veneer of control start to slip. She wanted to give into her anger but clearly, she wouldn't allow it. "Do you have any idea what she's been through?"

"Do you? I mean honestly. Do you know the girl at all? You had a month-long fling with her a year ago and the only reason you seduced her in the first place was to piss of your father. You told me yourself you weren't in love with her."

"I still care what happens to her Kathryn."

"You haven't witnessed the damage she's done."

"What, like stealing your boyfriend?"

"That was nothing for her. Let me clue you in on your little friend. People called her the terminator. She had a particular talent for blowing up people's lives then walking away without a scratch. To self-involved and oblivious to acknowledge the path of destruction she's left in her wake."

Annette wasn't impressed. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed she remarked, "Sounds like someone else I know."

"I'm well aware of who I am. And I don't make excuses for it."

Annette flinched but otherwise didn't say anything. Kathryn continued.

"You know she once took Ainsley's thirteen-year-old sister out clubbing, got her tweaked out of her mind, then left her to get assaulted by a couple of frat boys while she was off chasing after some drummer. Do you think she suffered any consequences from that? Of course not. How about when she ran off with her sister's fiancé on the eve of her wedding? Nope just another charming anecdote. Darcy takes what she wants, when she wants it without a single thought to who she's screwing over. Only this time, she took something from someone who wasn't going to let her get away with it. She fucked with the wrong girl and finally paid some consequences."

"She could have died Kathryn," Annette remarked quietly.

"Oh please," Kathryn spat in disgust. "She od'd on her drug of the week and grabbed a razor. Six months before that she drank a bottle of Jack and then flung herself into the Hudson when her friends wouldn't get froyo with her. _She. Was. A. Mess_. A self-destructive, over indulged brat. You might have built her up in your head as some kind of tragic Ophelia, someone in need of saving, but Darcy isn't in need of saving anymore than I am."

Annette was quiet for a beat as she seemed to be absorbing this. Kathryn watched her closely wondering if she was getting through to her. With Annette it was always hard to tell.

Pushing off the wall she sighed. "Even if any of that's true, it doesn't change the fact that you lied to me. I flat out asked you in you knew Darcy and you told me no."

Kathryn cocked her head. "Is that what you're really angry about?"

"I'm angry I wasted so much time with you."

Well that hit the mark. Swallowing thickly Kathryn replied, "Ditto."

She turned around, pretending to busy herself with her bag of toiletries, not wanting to show Annette how this conversation was slowly killing her. She half expected her to leave. She was surprised when she felt her come up behind her and run a casual hand up the back of her thighs. Kathryn sucked up a breath, trying to appear unmoved and ignoring the slight shock that electrified her skin whenever she touched her.

"You're the one who took those pictures of me and Sebastian, aren't you?"

Kathryn met Annette's reflection in the mirror in front of them. "Sure did," she crowed. "And that's just a warm up."

"Oh?"

Annette's fingers slipped under her towel, creeping between her legs. Kathryn tried to ignore it but suddenly her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. "Thanks to headmaster daddy, Cecile got suspended and Bunny is shipping her off to live with the nuns. That just leaves you lover."

Needing to take back control of the situation, Kathryn turned around and lifted herself up on the sink, letting her legs casually fall open as she did. Annette smiled lazily, reminding her almost startlingly of her stepbrother as she spread her knees a little wider and stepped between them. "So, what, are you going to get me shipped back to Kansas or something?"

Kathryn playfully frowned, shaking her head. She began to unbutton Annette's white dress shirt. Licking her lips as the swell of her breasts came into view. "Oh no, you'd be less fun to toy with 1200 miles away."

"Hmm," the blond hummed with a small smirk, her hand coming up to cup Kathryn face, "_Ditto_."

Annette pulled her forward, meeting her mouth in a hungry almost animalistic kiss, one that Kathryn eagerly returned. Grasping the other girl by the waist, she drew her in tight. It had been weeks since they had been together like this and Kathryn found she missed it like she'd miss air. Annette's mouth moved against her quickly, her tongue aggressively parting her lips, demanding access. Kathryn moaned into the kiss and for one blissful moment totally lost herself.

It was Annette who pulled back, her blue eyes bright with desire, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. "What exactly do you plan to do to me?"

"Well, for starters, I'd like to sit on your face while I eat that pretty pussy of yours."

Annette smiled, slow and sensual. Leaning against her, she traced a finger over Kathryn's swollen lips. "I was referring to whatever retribution I have coming my way." Whispering against her ear, her breath hot on her skin she added, "We both know leaking those pictures was just a warning shot."

"Hmm…" Kathryn slipped a hand into her shirt and groped her breast. "Maybe I'll tell everyone your virgin act is a sham."

Annette pulled back and grasped her face, allowing her nails to dig into her skin just this side of painful. "Then I guess I'd be forced to clue in everyone on what a coked up little nightmare you really are."

"You don't have proof," Kathryn murmured between kisses.

"Oh no?"

Annette tugged her towel away then pulled back briefly to admire her naked body, her eyes glazing over in lust. "Fuck," she muttered her throat working to swallow and Kathryn laughed. This time it was she who grabbed Annette, kissing her hard, clutching her face with one hand while the other fondled her tits, squeezing hard enough to elicit a sharp moan. Forgetting momentarily what they were doing and where they were doing it, Kathryn wrapped her legs around her, drawing her in even tighter, seeking some sort of friction to alleviate the ache that had begun to build between her thighs.

Her hand had come down to tug at the zipper of Annette's skirt when she abruptly pulled away. Staring over her shoulder Annette asked, "Did you get it?"

"Yep."

Kathryn whipped around at the sound of her stepbrother's voice and found a grinning Sebastian walking towards them with his camera. Immediately wrapping her towel around herself she demanded, "What the fuck?"

Stepping back from her, a taunting smile on her lips Annette remarked, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. What was that you were saying Kathryn about proof?"

Hopping off the edge of the sink she tightened the towel around herself as she looked back and forth between her stepbrother and Annette's smug faces. They had laid a trap for her and she walked right into it. Kathryn could feel her heart beating frantically against her chest, but she remained stoic, trying to figure out her next move. "You're working together? Isn't that cozy."

Sebastian came to stand beside Annette, pressing a hand on her lower back. "When Annette came to me asking for help getting some compromising shots of you, I was more than happy to lend a hand. I didn't appreciate you leaking unauthorized photos of me."

At that Kathryn let out a short, humorless laugh. "Ever the fucking hypocrite Valmont. Maybe you two are perfect for each other after all." Nodding towards his camera she asked, "What do you plan on doing with those?"

"Well if it was up to me, I'd leak them on social media, but—"

"That's not happening," Annette pipped in, "Provided you behave."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever revenge scenario you're conjuring up against me, it ends now. From here on in, you're going to behave yourself. If you make one move against me—" Sebastian coughed and Annette paused rolling her eyes upwards as she begrudgingly added, "Or Sebastian, I'll leak the pictures."

Kathryn let out a disbelieving laugh and called her bluff. "No, you won't. It would hurt you just as much as it would me."

"That's right." Annette stepped towards her confident, eyes sparkling, clearly high off the power of having one up on her. "Call it mutual assured destruction. You try to spill any of my secrets, and I'll spill yours. We'll go down together."

"You should be more than familiar with the concept," Sebastian commented dryly.

Kathryn threw him a hateful look as Annette stepped closer to her. "I can do petty and vindictive just as well as you can princess. You're reign of bullshit ends here."

She wasn't sure whether to be impressed or infuriated by how seamlessly she defeated her. "I continually underestimate you, don't I?"

"Your fatal flaw." Reaching out Annette tucked a strand of her wet hair behind her ear. "Word of advice, you need to learn to be more subtle. More like poison, less like a gun."

Kathryn flung her hand away. "I'll keep that in mind."

Annette gave her one last sly smirk before turning back to her stepbrother. "Come on Sebastian, I believe we have some arrangements to make. I still owe you your winnings."

"You can't be serious?" Kathryn spat before she could stop herself.

"Of course," Annette replied flashing a smile over her shoulder. "A lady always honors her bets."

"A lady who honors her bets" Sebastian mused, slinging an arm around Annette's shoulders. "What a refreshing concept."

Watching them walk off together, Kathryn had to resist the urge to hurl something at their backs. As the only thing in reach was her Channel toiletry bag, she'd have to settle for something subtler. "Oh Sebastian." When he paused and looked back at her she told him, "Do remember what we went over yesterday. It very much still stands."

He swallowed thickly and something unreadable passed behind his eyes, before walking away with Annette. When alone, Kathryn's cool expression dropped, and she looked up to find herself staring at her own reflection. She looked like a drowned rat, her hair wet and matted to her face, clutching the towel pathetically against her body. Suddenly she couldn't bear to look at herself. With an almighty howl Kathryn punched her fist into the mirror. It shattered, the sharp pieces cutting into her hand, taring, and cutting into her skin, but she didn't stop. Not until every bit of it was as broken as she was.

* * *

"Get off me," Annette ordered.

As soon as they stepped out of the locker room, she shrugged out of his hold, making a face. Sebastian rolled his eyes, stepping away from her. "So much for a united front."

"Don't be an imbecile," she sneered.

He smiled sarcastically then nodded at her chest with his head. "You might want to fix your shirt before anyone gets any more ideas about us."

Glancing down Annette realized her shirt was still open, her bra exposed. She was so high off her victory with Kathryn she hadn't even noticed. Casting a quick glance down the empty corridor, ensuring they were alone, she fixed her shirt. "What was that about yesterday?" she asked, remembering Kathryn's cryptic words.

Looking away Sebastian remarked, "It was nothing."

Clearly it wasn't but there was no sense in pressing him about it. Instead she held out her hand. "Give me the film."

He stared at her expressionless for a moment before reluctantly removing it from his camera. He hesitated a beat before dropping it in her hand. Clearly it hadn't escaped him that he was handing over some pretty powerful leverage he could use not only against Kathryn but her as well. "What are you planning on doing with that?"

"Burning it." Annette pulled out her lighter and walked into the ladies room, with Sebastian following. When she was sure they had no unwanted witnesses, she stood over the garbage can and lit the film on fire.

Sebastian's eyebrows shot up in alarm as he watched it burn. "Aren't you worried she'll—"

"I don't need to expose Kathryn to keep her in line. The threat in enough. Besides, I can't have this falling into the wrong hands." She gave him a pointed look.

"So, I take it you were bluffing about honoring the bet too?"

Annette let the film burn almost completely before blowing it out and letting the ashes scatter to the garbage. "On the contrary. You're going to fuck me into next Tuesday stud." Leaning into him she added, "and I want to make sure to get every minute of it on tape."

Turning on her heel she exited the lavatory and Sebastian quickly followed behind her. "Wait…you want everyone to see it?"

Staring at the girl's locker room door she smiled. "Not everyone…just one. Let's call it a private viewing." She laughed lightly. "Nothing will eat her up more."

Following her gaze back to the locker room then back to her, Sebastian snickered. "It all comes back to that huh?" He shook his head. "You talk a good game Hargrove, but you're still hung up on her."

Annette looked over at him and smiled faintly. "Of course, I am. Aren't you?"


	18. The Three Way

**Chapter 17: The Three Way**

* * *

The bathroom smelled like piss and cheap perfume. It wasn't exactly the ideal location for a hook up, but at that moment Kathryn was horny and high as a fucking kite. Logistics were the last thing on her mind.

Sebastian led her through the throng of girls huddled around the mirrors, a fog of cigarette smoke lazing around them. As they passed a few gave them speculative glances before carrying on with their business. The small bathroom was sticky and hot, the sounds of the club echoing on the other side of the graffitied walls, making it feel as if it was alive, pulsating with restless energy. Not unlike herself. Her whole body was tingling and almost jittery with the need to fuck.

Pulling her into a grungy stall, he locked in behind them and was on her in a second. When he kissed her it was all tongue. Sebastian groped her tits like a man who hadn't touched a woman in years—over eager and impatient. _Very suave brother dear_. Not that she minded. Kathryn's answering moan was as much from relief as it was from desire. After hours of foreplay he was finally touching her. She threw her leg around him, grounding down, seeing friction to ease the ache that had gathered between her legs, but it wasn't enough. She whimpered in frustration.

"You want my mouth on you?" he asked, panting against her parted lips.

She licked her lips. "I want you inside me."

He smiled in that way that was all predator before sinking down to his knees in front of her. She was wearing the perfect fuck me dress, loose, open and short so he was met with no resistance when his hands slid under it. Her stepbrother yanked off her La Perla's and she absently noticed him shove them in his pocket. "Perv," she huffed, her fingers raking through his hair.

He winked up at her, his hands caressing her calves before lifting her leg over his shoulder. "Don't you know it."

When his hot mouth met her over heated cunt, she nearly came on the spot. Kathryn bucked hard against the metal door of the stall, her grip tightening on his hair. "Oh god, _Sebastian_."

Looking up from his position between her legs, his drunk gaze met hers. With his fingers gently strumming her clit he ordered, "Say it again."

She had no idea what he was going on about. "Sebastian, fuck, please just..." she fumbled, needy and inarticulate. Impatient she shoves his head back between her legs, fingers tight in his hair.

He made some sort of deep guttural sound and she thought she saw him adjust his junk before he resumed licking her. The rough drag of his tongue felt amazing. "Do you have any idea…how long…I've wanted to do this?"

Kathryn laughed. "Me too."

Sebastian inserted a couple of fingers inside her, curving them upwards, clearly looking for her goody spot. He wasn't fucking around. "You have the prettiest, wettest, little pussy."

She was openly fucking his face now, a chocked sob threatening to erupt from her throat. "I'm sure…oh god…I'm sure you say that to all the girls."

"I call every one of them by your name."

She's sure it was just a line or the drugs talking. Whatever, she didn't care. He was eating her harder now, those plump lips of his wrapped around her clit, sucking for all he was worth. Kathryn cried out loudly. In the dim recesses of her mind she knew she was being too loud. There could be someone from school out there for all she knew, listening as she got her pussy licked by her stepbrother. It was impulsive and rash and had she been in her right mind she would never have allowed it. But thanks to the Molly and god knows what else coursing through her system she couldn't care less. Everyone except them could go fuck themselves.

Less than five minutes after they started Kathryn could feel her orgasm approach. She wanted to draw it out, make it last. She made an executive decision in that moment: she was going to let him fuck her. To hell with her loyalty to Annette, her pride, and the bullshit boundaries. Kathryn was sick of denying herself. She was finally going to let him have his filthy way with her.

"Fuck me Sebastian," she cried out.

He didn't seem to hear her, or he was just really preoccupied with what he was doing. It didn't matter. When she finally came, she nearly sobbed from the release of it, her whole body quaking and jerking as he seemed determined to wring every drop of pleasure out of her. After a while it all became too much, and she came again. Kathryn could feel a tear prickle at her eyes. She'd only ever had multiples with one other person.

Sebastian didn't wait for her to catch her breath before he was on his feet, hauling her into an aggressive kiss. She sucked on his tongue, tasting herself. Kathryn could feel his cock hard in his pants against her hip. Her fumbling hand groped him. "I want this," she slurred against his lips.

"Hmm."

Kathryn was tempted to drop to her knees and suck him off there, but her cunt, still tingling from her orgasms, demanded more. She wavered a second before deciding. "Fuck me," she ordered. "I wanna fuck."

"Here?"

"Uh huh."

When he didn't make a move, she got impatient and quickly bent over the grimy toilet, hands on the wall, presenting herself for mounting. "Come on fuck me."

Sebastian pressed himself against her backside and she could have sworn she heard him undo his pants only to stop. He laughed against her ear, warm and affectionate. "No, not here." Tugging her up he kisses her briefly. "Let's go home Kathryn…Kathryn…

…Kathryn are you listening to me?"

She blinked. The annoying high-pitched cadence of Olivia's voice cut through her memories dragging her reluctantly back to the present. She was no longer in the club. She stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Kathryn sighed.

Clutching her vintage princess rotary phone to her ear she spoke softly into the receiver, trying her best to keep her annoyance at bay. "I'm here, sorry. What were you saying?"

"I asked if you've ever been to Satellite?"

It was the mention of that club of course that brought on that very vivid memory. She scowled. "Just once. The bathrooms are disgusting."

"Ew. Well I guess I'll just avoid them. Anyway, like I was saying, Michael is taking me and I'm trying to figure out what to wear."

Kathryn rolled her eyes and cursed herself for picking up the phone in the first place. She had her own date to get ready for and really didn't have time to listen to this dipshit prattle on. The only reason she had called in the first place was to get a handle on what people were saying about her after the incident with Cecile. Seeing as Olivia was Manchester's biggest gossip, she knew she would be the best source for information. Luckily, just as she suspected, her damage control worked. No one bought a word of Cecile's allegations against her. Well, no one who mattered anyway.

Now she just had to get rid of Olivia. "I'm happy for you Liv," Kathryn interrupted her rant about Stella McCartney's new line. "But I have to finish getting ready. Jack will be here any minute."

"Oh my god, I completely forgot you guys were going out. I guess I just assumed because of what happened yesterday, he might have decided—"

"To what?" she demanded a tad too sharply.

"Nothing," Olivia replied quickly. "So, you're going out with Jack Donnelly huh? Wow I'm so jealous. He's gorgeous, not to mention he's supposed to have a huge, um," she paused giggling like an idiot, "_you know_."

Oh, she knew alright. Jack's legendary cock was the main reason she agreed to the date in the first place. Kathryn needed a distraction from Annette and Sebastian and the never-ending-merry-go-round bullshit. She was counting on Jack's epic dong to provide it.

Of course, she wasn't about to admit this to fucking useless Olivia. She was about to offer up some kind of prim reprimand about Jack being a good guy when her bedroom door opened, and Sebastian appeared. Kathryn watched in the mirror as he swaggered up to her with his usual confident gait and bored expression.

_Now what did he want?_

Cutting off Olivia's rambles she told her, "Yes, I'm really looking forward to it. It promises to be a night I won't soon forget." Kathryn's gaze met Sebastian's in the mirror as he came up behind her. "I have to go Olivia. I'll call you tomorrow." She hung up before the other girl could say goodbye.

"Do you ever knock?" she asked, keeping her tone even and unaffected.

"I don't really see the point. What could I possibly walk in on that I haven't already seen you do?" Before she could form a retort, he asked, "Big plan tonight?"

Kathryn grinned slyly. "_Big_ being the operative word. I'm going out with Jack tonight."

"Ah yes, Jack Donnelly and the wonder shlong." His hands slipped onto her shoulders and he gave them a gentle squeeze. "I hope you did your stretches sis."

"I've been doing my kegel exercises all afternoon."

His eyebrows shot up. "That's a shame. You'll miss Annette." Sebastian's right hand slipped down her front, disappearing into her robe where he groped her tit. Kathryn did her best to ignore it, spraying on some Chanel. "Tonight's the night we rekindle what we started this summer."

She knew this of course having overheard the two of them making plans on the phone. Kathryn had purposely moved up her date with Jack just so she could avoid being there.

"Oh, you mean when she pretended to tolerate you in order to win a bet?" Sebastian retracted his hand, scowling. She laughed lightly. "Sebastian the only thing you're going to rekindle is her gag reflex. We both know the only reason she's going through with this is to annoy me."

"Perhaps," he conceded. "But by the time I'm done with her, she won't even remember her own name, let alone yours."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Now there goes my gag reflex."

"Shouldn't you save that until after dinner?"

Sneering at him she got to her feet, she headed for the closet only for Sebastian to pull her back. "What the hell happened here?" He held up her bandaged hand.

She briefly flashed back to punching the mirror with her first and winced. It had been a stupid, reckless move. Not to mention it hurt like a mother fucker. She was lucky she didn't need stitches, but she had cut her hand badly enough she had to bandage it. Not to mention she had to keep producing bullshit excuses.

"It's nothing," she told him airily. "I dropped a bottle and cut it picking up the pieces."

Sebastian looked like he didn't buy it, but it wasn't like she owed him any explanations. Tugging out of his grip she headed to the closet to get dressed. She started to close the door then stopped. Why not give the loser a little thrill, something to ensure he'd think of her later while he was balls deep in her ex?

Keeping her back to him, Kathryn casually dropped her robe, leaving her in lace panties which she made a split-second decision to change out of. Even without looking back she could feel Valmont's eyes on her. "Olivia's going to Satellite tonight," she called back to him.

There was a pause before he spoke. She couldn't be sure if it was on account being distracted by her nakedness or if it was the subject itself. "How thrilling," he drawled. "Since when does she date bridge and tunnel?"

"Since she worked her way through most of the upperclassman." Kathryn shimmied into a new pair of panties. "I seemed to recall we went there once. I have a very vivid memory of the bathroom." _And your tongue_.

"It's not surprising. It was a very…memorable bathroom."

Kathryn smiled to herself as she slipped into her black Halston dress. "Funny though, I don't remember much after that."

"That's a shame. The rest of the night wasn't too bad either."

"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." _Whatever that's worth_.

Kathryn stepped out of the closet and picked up the wrapped gift that had been idling on her bed. "Do you think you can do me a favor? Since I won't be seeing Annette tonight, can you give her this for me?"

Sebastian took the present, eyeing it suspiciously like he thought it might start ticking. "What is it?"

She smiled slyly as she turned around silently asking him to zip up her dress. "Let's call it a peace offering."

"How magnanimous of you Kathryn." She shivered when she felt his fingers brush against her bare back before slowly zipping her up.

"Well you know I always strive to be the bigger person," she told him, effortlessly sliding into her perfect debutant routine.

"I'm not going to touch that one. Look, I'd ask you to join us tonight, but you understand how important this is to me."

Apparently, he was still trying to make her think he was hung up on Annette. Resisting the urge to laugh at him, she instead wrapped her arms around his neck and mocked, "Oh right I forgot. _You're so in love_."

"That's right."

She affected a pout then began to taunt him, "You won't think of me even a little?" she tugged him closer, licking her lips. "Even after our very special night together?"

Sebastian's gaze lingered on her lips, but he held firm. "No."

"Care to make a wager on that?"

Before he could respond, she pulled him into a kiss. It was an aggressive, hungry, dirty kind of kiss. One meant to make him hard and remind him who he belonged to. This was how Kathryn knew for sure he was full of shit. When she attempted to kiss him like this before, back when he genuinely had fallen in love with Annette, he had no problem pushing her away. Now, not only did he _not_ push her away, but he kissed her back with equal fervor.

This time it was Kathryn who broke away, smirking when she took in the dazed breathlessly expression on her stepbrother's handsome face. Her hand slid down, resting on his chest. She could feel his heart thudding madly against her palm. She knew in that moment if she told him she wanted to fuck he wouldn't hesitate to take her up on it. Probably cancel his 'date' with Annette if she asked him to. Not that she ever would.

"Well, I have to get going," she told him, turning away to fix her lipstick. "Jack is waiting, you understand."

"Yeah."

Watching his reflection in the mirror she asked, "You won't forget to give that to Annette, right?"

"Huh?" Sebastian glanced at the gift he was still clutching. "Oh yeah. Right."

His confidence had notably dimmed, replaced by a vague uneasiness. Kathryn slipped into her jacket, and gently touched his arm, as she passed on her way to the door. "Have fun tonight Sebastian," she called airily over her shoulder. Closing the door on his stupefied face Kathryn strutted out to the foyer to meet her date, a sharp, satisfied smile on her face.

Maybe she couldn't stop Annette and Sebastian from fucking, but after that kiss she was now confident she wouldn't be far from his mind. And when Annette received her present, she wouldn't be far from hers either. That was enough. For now.

* * *

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Sebastian glanced up from the camera he was fiddling with as Annette abruptly entered his room. He sighed, then drawled sarcastically, "That's not very romantic."

The blonde came to a stop in front of him making a face. "Don't be gross. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? You're the one who wanted me to record our unholy alliance. I figured if I'm going to do it, might as well not half ass it."

Crossing her arms to her chest she huffed, "Valmont it's a sex tape, we're not hoping to be nominated for an Academy award. A camera phone would have sufficed."

Sebastian glared over at her and not for the first time wondered if any of this was worth it. As much as he wanted to rub this in Kathryn's face, having to spend an entire evening (or at the very least a couple of hours) in Annette's presence was starting to feel more like a punishment than a reward. "I have an idea," he told her with phony enthusiasm. "Why don't you get your ass on the bed so we can get this the hell over with."

Annette glanced over at his bed and frowned. "You want to do it there?"

"Did you have something else in mind?"

The scowl she had been sporting ever since she made her entrance, morphed into a sort of lazy, sensual smirk as she sauntered up to him, hips swinging enticingly. "You disappoint me Sebastian," she cooed teasingly, her hands sliding up to grasp the lapels of his silk robe. "Surely I thought you were more adventurous than that."

Sebastian cocked a brow at her sudden mood shift. "Are you on some kind of medication I should be made aware of?"

She threw him a sharp look. "Don't be a dick."

He placed his hands on her small waist, his gaze falling to her plump breasts peaking out over her low-cut sweater. He hated to admit were just as enticing as he remembered. "What did you have in mind?"

Annette dragged him a few feet back to his bedroom door. Leaning against it she told him, "How about here?"

Sebastian looked up staring at the door a moment trying to figure out her reasoning before it hit him. _Ah yes of course_. She wanted to fuck on the door so Kathryn would hear them. He smirked, leaning in to kiss her but stopped just short of her mouth. "She's not home."

Her pretty face fell at the revelation. "Oh."

Abruptly she shoved him away, no longer interested. Sebastian laughed. "You're transparent as fuck."

"Where is she?"

"On a date with Jack Donnelly."

Annette appeared less than impressed as she brushed past him, removing her jacket and then flouncing on the bed. "Court's best friend? The basketball star? Subtle Merteuil."

"That's the one."

"Speaking of transparent. Isn't he the guy who's supposed to have a giant…?" She mimed jerking a dick.

"Uh huh. Manchester's very own Dirk Diggler"

Sebastian turned back to the tripod, adjusting the angle towards Annette. "It's probably just bullshit."

"Unfortunately, I know from personal experience it's not." When she looked up at him in surprise he laughed, "I have third period gym with him, and the guy isn't shy about swinging that fucker around. I imagine Kathryn's trying to suppress her gag reflex as we speak."

"Fantastic," she sighed, flopping on her back. Staring up at the ceiling she asked, "You wouldn't happen to know what she did to her hand, do you?"

He didn't know why he was surprised Annette had noticed his stepsister's injury. She didn't seem to miss much—especially when it came to Kathryn. "You know I'm no relationship expert, but I'm pretty sure obsessively stalking your ex's every move isn't healthy."

Rolling over to her side, Annette propped her head up on her elbow and regarded him like he was a moron. "Sebastian if my relationship with Kathryn was in any way healthy do you really think I'd be here getting ready to fuck you?"

He really couldn't argue with that. "Touché." That was the one thing he liked about Annette. She was almost pathologically self-aware and honest with herself. Sebastian kind of respected that. "I don't know what she did to her hand," he admitted. "But she's being evasive about it."

As he turned around to fetch a cigarette from his desk, Annette murmured quietly, "I think she did it yesterday, after we left her in the locker room."

Sebastian thought the same thing, but he didn't want to admit it. As always, it was easier to sweep Kathryn's problems under the rug rather than look at them to closely. "It's probably nothing."

"Have you noticed…is she indulging more than normal? She does that sometimes when she's stressed."

Sebastian didn't have to ask what she meant by indulge. Having lived with Kathryn since he was twelve, he was more than familiar with all her less than wholesome habits. It irked him a little that Annette still acted like she knew her better than him. "Yes, I'm aware how she operates," he snapped, tossing his gold plated cigarette lighter down with a harsh thud. Taking a long drag he softened telling her quietly, "I don't think she is. If she was using more than normal Blaine would tell me. We have a sort of agreement."

One time the summer before last, Kathryn had a bad reaction to some blow and ended up in the hospital. Their parents of course covered it up as pneumonia and ignored the whole thing. Sebastian hadn't been as indifferent. Even though he was basically his best friend, he threatened to out Blaine's business to his aunt and the school board if he ever put his sister in that position again. From there on out, they had an agreement that Blaine was to come to him any time he suspected Kathryn was overdoing it with the drugs. Kathryn knew nothing about it of course, and he wasn't about to tell blondie either.

Annette, ever the perceptive bitch however, seemed to sense his underlying concern. Sitting up straighter she studied him with newfound curiosity. For whatever reason it grated on his nerves. Wanting to desperately change the subject he huffed, "So are we going to do this or not?"

She made another annoyed face but agreed, "Yeah why not."

Sebastian chucked off his robe, while Annette got to her feet, kicking off her shoes then carelessly tugging her sundress over her head. When he went for his boxer briefs, she held up a hand. "Hold up. Let's set some ground rules first."

He leveled an irritated look at her. "You're a real boner killer you know that?"

Ignoring him she continued, "Rule one, you wear a condom. Always." Then for emphasis, she turned around and snatched one from his bedside table tossing it at him.

Sebastian caught it and sneered, "Yeah, no shit."

"No bondage. I don't do that S & M crap."

"Ah, and here I was really looking forward to gagging you."

"I'm not sucking your cock."

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Oh, come _on_." He had really been looking forward to coming all over her smug little face.

"No anal."

"Was that an option?"

"Just cause Kathryn has a thing for it—"

"Wait, hold up, _seriously_? Are we talking just a finger in the ass or…"?

"Let's just say she has an alarming collection of butt plugs for a seventeen year old girl."

"Shit," Sebastian breathed. Thanks to that image he was now fully hard. "So she wasn't just fucking with me when she said I could put it anywhere."

"Oh no she would have gladly opened up the back door."

"Fuck"

"Yep. Well, moving on to rule number five, no other photography other than this," she nodded at the camera, "And I will be taking the only copy of it when I leave."

Sebastian waved a hand indifferently in the air. "Whatever. Can we just get on with this? I assume it's just going to be missionary with the lights off. How thrilling."

"You didn't seem to mind it the first time."

He gave her a pointed look. "I was fucking a very different girl."

This time she smiled wryly. "Touché. Alright, I suppose that's enough stalling."

As she fidgeted with her bra, Sebastian turned back to make sure the camera was on. As he did so he noticed Kathryn's gift sitting on his desk. He contemplated for a moment leaving it there. Clearly it was some kind of pandora's box meant to derail their evening. In the end though, curiosity got the better of him. "I almost forgot. The stepcunt wanted me to give this to…" Sebastian trailed off when he turned around and found Annette topless. "…you."

"What?" Annette snapped, taking the present from him. "It's not like you've never seen them."

True. "They seem more developed than I remember."

She rolled her eyes. "What is this?"

"Fuck if I know. She called it a peace offering."

Annette opened the package to find a white box. Removing the lid, she looked inside and gave a short laugh. "She really is the undisputed queen of petty."

When Annette pulled out a vibrator, Sebastian looked upwards in annoyance. "Fucking bitch."

"Ooh there's a note. _Just in case Sebastian need help getting the job done. This is on lone, I expect it back in the morning. Best of luck, Kathryn_."

"How generous."

"Actual it is. This is her favorite vibrator."

Sebastian strode over to her and took the toy from her, examining it. It was one of those rabbit vibrators, silver and purple, with massaging bunny ears. "We're not using this."

Annette quickly yanked it back. "Speak for yourself. If we're doing this I'm getting off and frankly I don't really trust _you_ to get me there."

Crossing his arms to his chest, he stewed in anger. At this point he was going to need a whole medicine cabinet's worth of pharmaceuticals to get through this evening. "Fine, if you want to use it, you have to give me a little show first."

Annette made a face. "Piss off. Go watch porn if you want to see that."

He condescendingly tapping her on the head. "Oh, but you're my own little porn star, remember?" Sebastian walked over to his desk and grabbed his laptop. "If you're need of some inspiration, perhaps I can help you out there."

He cued up the video he took of Kathryn getting herself off in the cab then set it on the bed in front of her. Annette cast a brief, disgusted look in its direction. "I have no interest in watching you nail some poor cheerleader."

"Oh, trust me, you'll want to see this one."

With little enthusiasm the headmaster's daughter dragged the computer on to her lap. Sebastian watched with quiet satisfaction as her interest began to pique when she realized just who the video was of. Not taking her eyes away from the screen Annette demanded, "Where did you get this?"

"I took it the night we went out together."

"You fucking asshole, she's totally out of it."

"Trust me, she wasn't _that_ out of it."

"This is a violation."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Spare me the self-righteous indignation. If you don't want to see it, I'll just erase it." He went to take it from her, only for Annette to quickly yank it back, casting a brief withering look his way before she rolled out to her stomach. He shook his head not at all surprised. "That's what I thought, little hypocrite."

Annette ignored him, too consumed with the video to pay him any attention. If it were anyone else, he'd be annoyed by this, but as it seemed to keep her quiet Sebastian was all for it. Turning back to his camera he removed it from the tripod, while eyeing his bottle of little blue pills hidden away on his bookshelf. He thought he might need them as ever since his little incident with Regina a few days ago. It had spooked him enough that he hadn't dared hook up with another girl for fear of humiliation. Of course, he hadn't had any problem getting hard for Kathryn and even now with the blonde menace, he was at full staff. Sebastian wonder if it was because he was genuinely still attracted to her or because he couldn't get that hot kiss, he shared with Kathryn out of his head. Perhaps it was best not to over think things.

When the room filled with a light buzzing sound, he turned to find Annette had gotten rid of her panties and was now on her knees and elbows, working Kathryn's new toy against her cunt, eyes still on the screen. _Fuck me._ Sebastian grabbed the camera and circled the bed, filming her as she got herself off. Annette's eyes were heavy with lust and her breathing was coming out in shallow little huffs, just loud enough to be heard over the faint buzzing. Watching her Sebastian had the unsettling realization that he was indeed still attracted to her, only in a _very_ different way.

Chucking off his briefs, Sebastian groaned in relief as he fisted himself, his eyes on Annette's gorgeous swaying ass. He came up behind her, pausing briefly when his caught sight of Kathryn on the screen, offering up a filthy smile to the camera as she worked a hand under her dress. Despite the fact that he had already watched the thing an embarrassing amount of times, he still found himself as captivated by it as Hargrove.

"That's it baby," Annette murmured huskily to the screen. "Get your fingers in there."

Kathryn's dress strap fell further, exposing her perfect tit, her puckered nipple hard and eager for a suck. Both Annette and Sebastian groaned. He jerked his cock, causing a dollop of pre-cum to smear against her ass. Annette shot an annoyed look over her shoulder. "You better not have—"

"I didn't," he assured her kneeling behind her on the bed, his hand slid down her ass to her cunt. No surprise she was soaking. Annette whimpered at his touch, but Sebastian was too distracted by Kathryn to enjoy it. "Ooh watch this part when she..."

"She's double jointed," Annette sighed, referring to Kathryn's ability to get that many fingers in herself and pleasure her clit at the same time.

Sebastian reached over to the bedside table to retrieve a condom. He slid it on then lined up behind the blonde. Apparently, this was going to be a very odd threesome. He was strangely fine with that. Leaning over her, he brushed her hair aside as he kissed her neck. Despite whatever disparaging remarks she might have made about their night together, Sebastian was relatively confident he knew what she liked. He recalled a brief moment when he accidentally got a little aggressive with her and how it seemed to excite her before she covered it with an embarrassed blush. Deciding to test out his theory he nipped at her neck while his hand slid under her body to grope her breast just this side of painful. Annette let out a soft cry that made him smile against her skin. "You like that?"

Her gaze faltered from the screen. "Maybe."

"Uh huh." He pulled back a little and smacked her hard on the ass, the sound reverberating around the room. Sebastian did one cheek and then the other.

"Shit," Annette panted.

"Sure you're not into that S&M stuff?"

"Fuck off"

"You first."

The video ended, but Annette quickly started it up again. She removed the toy from her cunt but kept it teasing her clit. "Put your fingers in me," she ordered him, not turning around.

Sebastian did as ordered, shoving two fingers gruffly inside her followed by another. He fucked her hard, the room filling with wet, squelching sounds as her pussy squeezed his digits. "You want my whole fist?"

"No," she replied sharply.

"You didn't seem to mind it when she did it," he reminded her, briefly flashing back to the afternoon he watched the girls in bed together.

"I never minded anything she did to me."

Sebastian was momentarily taken aback by her honesty and the sadness in her voice. Pushing it from his mind, he took his hard cock in hand and ran it over the crack of her ass, then slapped her on the butt with it. She grunted in kind. Returning to her sopping slit he pressed against her but didn't enter. Annette whimpered, trying to close the gap between them, but he held her firmly by the waist. She shot him an irritated look over her shoulder.

Smirking he asked, "What do you want?"

Her eyebrow knit together. "Don't make me ask you to fuck me."

"Would you beg?"

"No," she told him firmly.

In that moment Sebastian was too far gone to call her bluff. Grabbing Annette gruffly by the shoulder and the waist he slammed into her, almost balls deep on the first entrance. He groaned as he was soon consumed by her warm, wet heat. She in turn cried out sharply, nearly collapsing face first into the mattress. Sebastian held her in place as he fucked her gruffly. Unlike their first time, when Annette basically was content to lay there and let him have his way with her, this time she was a more than active participant. She slammed her hips make meeting him thrust for angry thrust, gaze still trained on the computer.

Honestly, it probably should have bothered him more than it did, but the fact was Sebastian was watching too. He didn't see Kathryn when he fucked Annette, he didn't pretend it was his stepsister he was slamming into, but he felt her presence. Like some kind of horny poltergeist, he felt her in the air, watching them, participating somehow despite not being physically present. That he realized was what she was aiming for by giving Annette that present. She hadn't wanted to derail the evening so much as make herself a part of it. Funny enough, she needn't bothered. Kathryn would always be there between them, the living, breathing, 98-pound Chanel clad, scowling, elephant in the room.

It was rough, impatient sex, the kind you have when you both know the only thing that mattered was getting to the finish line. Sebastian reached out and grabbed a fistful of Annette's soft blond locks before delivering a sharp tug. As expected, she let out shriek, bucking on his pitoning dick harder.

"You do like the rough stuff, don't ya?"

"Oh god…fuck you…harder goddammit, _harder_"

The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the air as he continued to pound her hard. Sebastian was starting to sweat, and he could feel his balls beginning to draw up in anticipation. Luckily, Annette got there before he did. That sweet little pussy of hers, tightened on him as her body started to quiver and her cries got higher.

"Oh shit…K-Kathryn…Kathryn…fuckkk…"

Annette collapsed face first into the mattress as Sebastian continued to fuck her, holding her up by the waist, as she came down from her orgasm. She had gotten hers, it was time for him to get his. Annette's pussy spasmed drawing him in deeper and he had to summon his last reserve of energy to pull out of her. Sebastian quickly turned her onto her back and kneeling over her he ripped off the condom, then frantically beat his cock, biting back a moan as he erupted on her chest. As his hot spunk hit coating her tits, Annette made a sort of groan, her eyes still too dazed to focus on him.

Exhausted, Sebastian collapsed beside her. Staring up at the ceiling, breathless but sated he asked, "Was that romantic enough for you?"

"You're a pig"

"And you got off. _Hard_."

She looked at him with that typical annoyed expression of hers. He waited for the inevitable snarky rebuttal, but it never came. Instead, she surprised him, jumping up—much more abruptly than anyone who just got fucked that hard had a right to—and straddling him. Running a hand through her mussed hair she flashed him a cheeky smile. "Best two out of three?"

Sebastian grinned. "You're on."

* * *

Around midnight Kathryn arrived at a party on 92nd and Madison. She didn't actually know whose townhouse it belonged to, but it didn't matter so long as the booze and drugs were plentiful. Blaine had texted her earlier that evening with the location and the request that she be there in case the crowd was to 'elitist hipster' for him and there were no fuckable options. As if Blaine had any qualms about where he put his dick, she thought snidely.

Kathryn made her way through the throng of mostly Columbia students and Upper East Side trust funders with the occasional random model or minor New York celebrity. A few smiled at her in recognition, but she passed by them with nary a nod. She was in no mood to be social that evening. Thankfully, she found Blaine easy enough, loitering on the second floor, leaning over the balcony. He turned to greet her as she approached, eyes shining with whatever substance he was currently on. "It's about time. I was starting to think you were blowing me off." Blaine leaned in, smelling like Paco Rabanne and cigarettes to drop a kiss on her cheek. "Who is this mystery man you were out with?"

"Jack Donnelly"

His dark brow shot up. "He of the legendary trouser snake?"

Kathryn sighed. "That's the one."

"Well do tell, don't keep me in suspense." Blaine reached over and grabbed a couple drinks out of the hand of some passing nobody dressed in Old Navy. "Did he live up to the extensive hype?"

"I wouldn't know," she grumbled darkly.

"Darling are you telling me you went out with Jack 'the dong' Donnelly and you didn't get a look at the goods? I don't think we can be friends anymore."

She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't for a lack of trying believe me. Unfortunately, he was a perfect gentleman."

"In other words…"

"Boring as fuck."

"My condolences. What a waste of a nice cock."

He wasn't kidding. Kathryn hadn't known Jack well, even though he was Court's best friend, a fact she now found completely unbelievable because he genuinely was a _nice_ guy. Polite, kind and interested in what she had to say not just what was under her dress. Kathryn never knew what to do with that kind of boy. They had gone to a showing at a gallery and then to dinner. When she suggested he accompany her upstairs at the end of the evening he politely declined, citing an early racquet ball game. He kissed her gently (no tongue). She thought he might be secretly closeted (as if Blaine wouldn't have been all over that by now) but when he leaned in to kiss her, he was definitely hard. And definitely huge. Jack had blushed and asked her out again. She told him she'd get back to him. Kathryn wasn't sure whether to look at him as a challenge or cut her loses and run.

"Why are you even bothering with these Ken dolls when you have Archie and Betty around to defile?"

She scowled at the mention of her stepbrother and ex. "They are otherwise occupied this evening—they're fucking."

Blaine paused mid sip shooting her an incredulous look. "_Each other_?"

Kathryn nodded. "Don't ask."

"Well that explains a few things then. Someone's feeling left out."

"Don't be so bourgeois Tuttle."

She walked away, slumping down on a nearby overstuffed couch. A guy in leather joggers and wearing an ironic 'I heart NY' t-shirt, gave her an appreciative once over and looked like he was going to make a move. _As if_. Luckily, Blaine came over and shooed him away before he got out whatever lame pickup line he was going to use. "We need to find you an adequate distraction," he announced taking a seat next to her.

"_Here_?"

"Yes here, there's plenty of available goodies. Let's take a look."

His head swung around, taking in partygoers before landing on a cute college age boy in jeans. "How about him? Nice body."

"Yeah and it's covered in off the rack," she sneered, unimpressed. "Pass."

"Picky but fine. What about this one?" he nodded towards a tall, black guy dressed in an exquisitely tailored Brioni suit.

"Too high maintenance. His outfit costs more than mine."

"Who cares what he's wearing? The point is to get him out of his clothes doll." When she remained unmoved, he sighed, "Fine. This guy, he looks like your type."

The guy in question was a tall, blond, preppy sort wearing Ralph Lauren and drinking a Heineken. "He looks like the type who'd slip me something and then let his roommate fuck me when I pass out. No thanks."

"Okay, that was disturbingly specific." Sitting up straighter, Blaine literally rolled up his sleeves, like this was a challenge he was determined to master. "Alright, perhaps we're looking at this from the wrong angle."

"Or the wrong party. Everyone here in lame."

"It's not the party sweetheart, it's you. How about someone of the female variety?" When Kathryn shrugged, bored, Blaine searched around before pointing out a pretty redhead. "How about that one?"

"Her tits are too small."

"You're not exactly Christina Hendricks but fine. Uh…her?"

"Too butch."

"How about that one?"

"She's prettier than me."

"Jesus Christ," Blaine grumbled in frustration. Kathryn laughed into her martini. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Maybe." Despite the fact that she would have very much liked to have lost herself in some decent sex, her heart wasn't in it. She couldn't get Annette and Sebastian and what they might be doing out of her mind. Mediocre sex with a stranger wasn't going to help that.

_Then again_…

Kathryn looked up just as a leggy short haired blonde came flying by in a short sparkly mini dress and boots. Blaine sensing her interest laughed. "Leave it to you to seek out the only unavailable candidate."

This of course piqued her interest all the more. "There's no such thing as unavailable."

"There is in this case. Trust me, that one already has her hands full."

"What do you mean?"

Blaine seemed to consider her a moment then setting down his glass, he took her hand and pulled her up. "Come along," he instructed.

Kathryn followed obediently as he led her through the crowd in the same direction the blonde headed. He ended up taking her into what looked like some kind of den, cherry paneled with a huge mahogany desk in the center and a row of large screen tv's on the opposite wall. "Where are we?" she asked.

"Hamilton's father is super paranoid on account of finding out his wife was banging half of the Upper East Side. He has nearly every room in the house under surveillance." Blaine turned on the televisions all of which showed various rooms filled with party guests, most engaging in heavy debauchery. He zeroed in on one room in particular until it was the only one playing on all four screens. It was a woman, beautiful late twenties or early thirties and a man around the same age, they were both naked and he was fucking her from behind.

"Why are you showing me this?" Kathryn asked, sounding bored even though she clearly wasn't.

"That is Bianca Barrett, the Greek shipping heiress, you know the one who was in _page six_ a lot a couple years ago when she got caught shoplifting from Barney's? And the guy with her is Anthony DeWitt, the Mayor's nephew."

"And?"

A second later the blonde she had her eye on came into the room. The sound was muted so she couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't matter. A minute after entering, the blonde tossed her dress off, with her bra and panties quickly following and joined them on the bed. Immediately the two women started making out as the guy resumed fucking the heiress.

Kathryn watched mesmerized. "Are they…?"

"They're a couple…or a throuple or whatever the hell they call it. Either way, like I said, she is _very_ taken."

"Huh," she replied, too enthralled by the three of them on screen to manage anything pithier.

They had changed positions on the screen. The brunette was now on her back eating the blonde who sat on her face, while the guy continued to fuck her gruffly, one hand on her generous breast while the other tugged the blond forward in a kiss.

Watching them Kathryn couldn't help but picture herself as one of the participants, only it wasn't the pretty blond or the bland looking guy she was fucking, but two very different people indeed.

"Kind of hot, isn't it?" Blaine remarked.

Kathryn smirked. "Yeah, it is."


	19. The Fog of War

**Chapter 18: The Fog of War**

* * *

"Do you wanna go again?"

Sebastian, who was putting his silk briefs back on, paused and gave her a knowing look. "I don't know, do you have enough batteries?"

_Touché dickweed_. Annette smiled. "You're right. Better not risk it."

With a faint smile, he rolled his eyes at her and headed to the bathroom. She waited until he had gone before fishing out the vibrator she had stuffed under her pillow after her third orgasm, as if she was afraid he would confiscate it. Examining the silicone toy, she wondered how serious Kathryn was about returning it.

Annette cringed when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the three condom wrappers. So much for one and done. As much as she loathed to admit it, sex with Sebastian wasn't quite the shit show she had been anticipating. It wasn't that she thought he'd be _awful_, but rather she feared he'd try to slip back into what they had before, with him treating her with kid gloves. Yuck. Luckily, his ego demanded he give her a good time and on that front he delivered. He paid attention to what she liked and made sure she came first, each and every time, which with most guys his age was something of a miracle. No wonder he had the reputation he did.

Don't get it twisted, it wasn't like she had magically developed feelings for the guy, she still loathed the sight of him. Sebastian Valmont was a grade A asshole. However, he could definitely fuck. Annette was a little disappointed that she would no longer be able to mock his sexual prowess.

"You're still here?" Sebastian came back into the room, making a bee line for the wet bar.

"What, you don't want to cuddle?" Watching him fix himself a drink she called out, "Make me one." He rolled his eyes but acquiesced.

"I hope you're not planning on spending the night."

"God no."

"Ah, so you're what just hoping to run into my sister is that it? What if she spends the night with what's-his-face?"

He handed her a glass of scotch and she replied crisply, "She can't. She has to drive out to the island tomorrow for your aunt's party."

Sebastian grinned and shook his head at her like she was the most sorrowful person that ever lived. "You're pathetic Hargrove." He then leaned over and clinked his glass against hers. She took that as a silent admission that maybe he was just a little bit pathetic too.

He took his seat beside her on the bed, pulling his computer on his lap and slipping into his reading glasses. She watched as he downloaded their sex tape. "What are you doing?"

"Sending this to Pornhub," he responded without missing a beat.

Annette sat up a little straighter. "What?"

"Relax, I'm just editing out all the rough spots. I only produce quality adult films thank you."

"My apologies." Annette relaxed, drinking her scotch silently as he worked. "What do you plan on doing with that other video, the one of Kathryn in the cab?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Send me a copy."

Sebastian tore his eyes away from the screen briefly eyeing her curiously before picking up his phone. "Plan on doing a little after hours homework Hargrove?"

"I noticed you seemed pretty well acquainted with it. I take it you've been doing a little _homework_ yourself."

Sebastian merely shrugged.

A couple seconds later her phone dinged signaling a text. Annette searched the bed for her phone, finding it down by the footboard. Sure enough he sent her the video. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't just a little bit ashamed, but she had gone far enough down the shame rabbit hole with these two it didn't much matter.

Taking a cigarette from Sebastian's fancy gold-plated case, Annette lit up and took a long drag, before spreading herself out at the end of the bed. Sebastian looked up from his laptop and seemed to consider her a moment before sighing. "Not that I'm condoning it in any way, but why not just make up with her since you're _clearly_ still in love with her?"

Annette was momentarily startled by the question, even more so that he seemed to be asking it genuinely and not part of some game. Flicking her ashes into a small crystal ashtray, she avoided his gaze as she admitted quietly, "Because I don't trust her or rather, I don't trust myself with her."

"Hmm, you said that to me once."

"Yeah, ironic. It's actually true now." Annette let out a long sigh, running her hand through her mussed hair. "I don't know, sometimes I feel if I let her, she'll swallow me whole. Did you ever feel like that with Kathryn, like she had the power to completely overtake you?"

Sebastian nodded, a far off look in his eyes. "Yeah, sometimes."

"It's like when I'm with her, I feel like I'm on the strongest drug, with the most intense rush. I feel invincible, like nothing can touch me and nobody matters but her, but then…"

"You crash," he finished for her, "And it's the worst goddamn hangover of your life."

So, he did understand. She wasn't surprised. "I love her, sometimes I'm afraid I always will, but I can't let her pull me into her bullshit anymore. I have plans, a future and I'm not going to derail that for anyone. Even her." Looking up she noticed Sebastian looked wryly amused. "What, you don't believe me?"

"Speaking from personal experience, it's not that easy. I know a junkie when I see one. Face it sweetheart, you're hooked."

Annette rolled her eyes, even though she knew he probably had a point. "I'll get over it eventually. In the meantime, I'll drive her as nuts as she's making me and spend a shit ton on batteries."

Sebastian laughed. "That sounds healthy."

"Healthy is over rated."

"I'll drink to that." Sebastian finished off his scotch when something flickered in his eyes. He smirked. "You know if you really want to drive her crazy…"

"Yeah?"

"We should go to the gala together. Do you have a date?"

She shook her head, "Not officially. Court keeps asking me, I thought about going with him just to annoy Kathryn."

"If you go with me it with annoy her a lot more. Besides, Court will just try to feel you up all night. I'll only try it _part_ of the night."

Annette rolled her eyes but laughed. It wouldn't be the worst idea. "I'll think about it." Glancing at the clock on the nightside table, she cringed. It was much later than she thought. "I have to get going, the last train is in half an hour."

"I'll have Maurice drive you." When she regarded him with surprise, he looked affronted. "What, I'm not a total dick. I'm not going to make you take the train back to Manchester at one in the morning."

"How chivalrous. I still need to go. I have to get up early for your aunt's party tomorrow."

Sebastian made a face. "Oh god, I almost forgot about that. I wonder if it's too late to get mono again."

Annette began gathering up her clothes, wishing she had time for a shower. As she slipped her dress over her head, she couldn't help but notice the intent way Sebastian was staring at the laptop. "You know I'm curious Valmont, how come you've never tried to move on from your Kathryn fixation?"

"Because I don't have a fixation," he replied, voice clipped and impatient.

"The first step to getting over your addiction is admitting you have a problem," she quoted condescendingly, before laughing lightly at her joke.

Sebastian squeezed the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation. "Give me a break, I only told you that bullshit about Kathryn and I belonging together because I wanted to fuck with the two of you. I feel nothing for her but repulsion and loathing."

Putting her earrings back on, Annette gave a disbelieving shake of her head. "I can't tell if you honestly believe that or you're really that clueless."

"It's the truth," he replied in his usual haughty sneer. "Unlike you, I know when to cut my loss's and run."

Sighing Annette took a seat on the bed, her back to him as she puts on her shoes. Almost absently she remarked, "I will never understand how she could love someone like me and at the same time love a completely delusional idiot like yourself."

"Uh, maybe because she doesn't love me, never has."

"Of course she does," she sighed, "Why do you think I loathe you so much?"

There was a long pause, so long she just assumed he was ignoring her. Getting to her feet, Annette turned around to gather her things only to stop when she saw Sebastian's face. He looked completely stricken, like she just told him the world was about to end. At first, she didn't understand it, until it dawned on her. He _didn't_ know. He had no fucking idea.

"Oh god, you never realized, did you?" She laughed at his stupidity, "That's _precious_."

Shaking away his stunned disbelief, Sebastian told her, "You're lying."

Shoving her hair into a ponytail she asked, "Why would I lie about something like that? Seriously, what would I have to gain?"

"To fuck with me for starters. Kathryn doesn't…she never…she's not even really capable of..._that_."

"I'm not lying Sebastian. Kathryn did love you, or she _does_ love you. She claims she's over you, but you can never really tell with her. She can be as self-deluded as you are. Another thing you have in common. I guess you really are two of a—"

"Stop it!" he exploded, practically snarling at you. "I'm not buying any of this, so whatever game you're playing—"

"I'm not playing anything," she argued calmly, curious by this sudden emotional shift. "Whether you believe it or not it's the truth. Why do you think I suggested the bet with Kathryn this summer? Why do you think she blew the whole thing up when she thought you fell for me?"

"She can't stand to lose," he answered quietly, not meeting her gaze.

"She couldn't stand to lose _you_. The one person who always understood her, who _knew_ her or so she thought. When I showed her your journal and she read about what you really thought of her, it _broke_ her Sebastian."

He shook his head, still not buying it. "No, she was playing you. It's what she's good at."

"Oh, I'm well aware, but come on, don't you think I know when Kathryn is bullshitting me by now?"

Sebastian didn't respond, he just stared down at the keyboard in front of him, lost in thought. Watching him, Annette was struck by the fact that it was very possible his whole world and everything he believed to be true was blowing up at that moment. It was also very possible she might have just shot herself in the foot. Had she just given Sebastian the impetus to fall back in love with Kathryn? Why the hell hadn't she kept her mouth shut?

When he finally spoke, Annette could practically see his shields coming up. Good. Perhaps he sensed he was dangerously close to making a fool of himself (she actually thought he was going to cry for a minute there) and he was going to pretend this never happened. Speaking in a cool, unemotional tone Sebastian told her, "Even if I believe anything you were saying, it doesn't change anything."

"Damn right it doesn't," she muttered more to herself, but he had clearly heard it.

Eyes narrowed Sebastian demanded, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Something about his arrogant tone made her hackles rise. She felt as if she was being called out. With a fierce glare she told him plainly, "If I can't have her, there's no way in hell I'm going to let _you_ have her. _Ever_. So, do yourself a favor Valmont, just ignore everything I told you here tonight, because you're right. It doesn't…change…anything."

He looked back at her with utter loathing and spat, "Weren't you leaving?"

And just like that they were back to being adversaries. Any quiet revelations they shared and bonded over were wiped away with that one stupid truth. Annette realized then the tremendous mistake she made telling him anything in the first place because despite what he just said it clearly _did_ change everything. She just had to hope Sebastian was too chicken shit to ever try to make a real move on Kathryn.

Stalking around the bed she came to stand in front of him and held out her hand. Sebastian sneered at it. "What are you expecting payment? I don't pay for pussy."

Rolling her eyes upwards she ordered, "Give me the flash drive asshole." Sebastian removed the drive and shoved it in her awaiting fist. "If you double cross me on this Valmont and that video shows up _anywhere_, I'm going to come back here and cut off your dick."

They both knew she meant it.

As Annette headed for the exit he called after, "Enjoy the train sweetheart!"

She tossed him the middle finger over her shoulder. Throwing open the door, she whirled around ready to land one last devastating retort only to stop when she looked back to find Sebastian staring into space, looking completely thunderstruck. For a brief fleeting second, she almost felt sorry for him. He really did look like she just blew up his whole world.

Well, to hell with that.

Annette left, slamming the door behind her and only to storm right across the hall to Kathryn's bedroom, pausing only momentarily when it occurred to her she might very well be on the other side. She wasn't. Entering the room, Annette found it empty and quiet, a hollow shell of its typically glamorous self, but it smelled like her and it made Annette ache a little. When her eyes lingered on her alcove bed, a place she had grown to know intimately (she knew precisely what was in each and every little drawer that surrounded it) she was tempted to crawl up in it. In the end her sense of self perseverance won out. Shaking her head, she remembered her mission. She deposited the drive along with a brief note on top of Kathryn laptop, then got the hell out of there.

Heading down the marble staircase to the grand foyer, her head still on the conversation with Sebastian, she came to a stop when she looked up just as Kathryn was coming into the house. Appearing as effortlessly chic as ever in a black cashmere coat over a slinky short dress, make-up perfect and hair tussled just enough to suggest sex, Annette's breath caught as it always did whenever she came across her unexpectedly. It was like everything else was in black and white, but Kathryn was permanently in technicolor. When she looked up and spotted her, their eyes met and the same spark was there, sending a bolt straight to her clit. _Goddammit_. She used to enjoy that sensation but now it was just a reminder that she was too weak to let this go.

Stealing herself for what she was sure would be an uncomfortable confrontation, she greeted her with a sarcastic drawl, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Not really, I live here," Kathryn sighed. "You on the other hand are…oh that's right. Spreading yourself for my brother."

So, it was going to be like that. Fine Annette could do cunty just as well as the next Upper East Side mean girl.

"Well at least he's not my brother. That would just be plain _weird_," she told her with a pointedly amused look. "Speaking of which, he's upstairs if you're in the mood for sloppy seconds."

"I'll pass thanks."

She should leave, Annette thought to herself, get the hell out of there and not engage. It was the smart thing to do.

"So, Jack Donnelly huh? What, did Court's father turn you down?"

Kathryn's answering smile was sharp as steel. "Jealousy really is such an ugly trait. For your information he perused me, not the other way around. Jack was a perfect gentleman."

"That must have bored the shit out of you."

"On the contrary, it made for a nice…pallet cleanser."

Annette didn't buy that for a minute. Kathryn didn't do nice. She had about as much tolerance for kindness and goodness as herself. And Jack was a good guy. Annette had third period western civics with him. She'd once witnessed him stand up to a bunch of jock asshole bullying Todd Danvers, an effeminate, quiet kid for no reason other than it was the right thing to do. At Manchester that behavior was akin to a unicorn. What the hell would Kathryn do with a guy like that?

She wondered if she fucked him. Before she could find out Kathryn was brushing past her towards the stairs. Annette felt a swell of panic that she was leaving. "What, aren't you going to ask me about my evening?"

"No," she replied sharply over her shoulder.

Watching her go she knew she should just turn and leave. This was stupid. And yet…

"Don't you want your toy back?"

Kathryn paused half way up the staircase and whirled around to face her. Annette pulled out the vibrator from her bag and held it up, ignoring the fact that the doorman was standing fifteen feet away. The brunette stared at her wordlessly for a long minute before slowly descending. She held out her hand, the one with the bandage on it. Annette was tempted of course to ask her about it but instead she just handed over the toy, her fingers gently grazing her palm as she did. Kathryn examined the vibrator. "So, how was it?"

"It was…" Annette pretended to search for the right word, "Unexpected."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it turns out I vastly underestimated Sebastian's abilities. He does live up to the hype after all. He was…kind of amazing, actually."

Kathryn expression didn't change, but she thought she saw something in her eyes shift. "So, you didn't need my little gift after all?"

"Oh, it made for a nice bit of foreplay, but to be honest it became immaterial after awhile. Sebastian really knows what he's doing. It made for a nice…what phrase did you use? Pallet cleanser."

She cocked a brow. "Careful Hargrove, you're starting to sound like one of his groupies. Next you'll be telling me he's really misunderstood and secretly a good guy."

"No, not at all, no one would ever mistake him for a gentleman, but I do feel like I saw another side of Sebastian tonight. Let's just say we found some common ground."

"How lovely."

She was poking the bear now. She knew that was what Kathryn feared most, being left behind, becoming irrelevant, to not only her but Sebastian as well. Annette could tell it was taking everything in her not to lose her cool. However, what she wanted more than anything in that moment was to see Kathryn lose it. Anything was better than this cool indifferent manor.

"He invited me to go to the gala as his date."

"Excuse me?"

"If you told me yesterday that I would be actually considering Sebastian Valmont as a romantic prospect—"

"That's enough," Kathryn snapped, leveling a poisonous look at her.

Annette played innocent. "Why? I'd thought you of all people would be happy for us Kathryn. After all, it's kind of because of you we found each other in the first place." Her lips curved into a taunting grin as she added, "Our very own cupid."

"Shut up."

In a flash Kathryn grabbed her by the neck and slammed her with surprising force against the wall, momentarily knocking the wind out of her. Annette looked up, slightly dazed and found Kathryn glaring at her with quiet fury. She didn't let go of her neck as she leaned in and kissed her hard, stealing the little breath she had. Annette kissed her back, but she struggled to keep up. The kiss was aggressive, violent even. Her nipples puckered and her cunt tightened and suddenly she felt more alive than she had all night.

Kathryn broke away, and they both gasped for air, Annette more so as she still had her hand at her neck. She breathed her in, she smelled divine. It made her ache for whatever it was they were doing. Leaning in the brunette kept her mouth hovering over hers, panting against her as she rucked her dress up then shoved a hand into her panties. Annette whimpered when she felt her fingers slide along the folds of her pussy, before gently teasing her hole.

"You're soaking," she whispered. "You really did enjoy yourself tonight." She didn't imagine that her grip around her throat tightened. Did she honestly think Sebastian had put her in this state? Please. Despite his prowess he could never make her a fraction as wet as Kathryn could just by looking at her.

When her fingers pushed inside her, Annette whimpered and bucked against her hand. Kathryn continued to taunt her. "Did he fuck you here?"

"Yes," she managed weekly.

She fucked her harder, her finger just ghosting over her clit. "Did he feel good, stretching out this tight little cunt, huh? Did he make you scream for it?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Annette caught sight of the doorman, looking as if he was trying desperately not to listen. "K-Kathryn I…" she lost her train of thought when she felt those wicked fingers of her curve upwards, searching.

Noticing where her attention wavered, Kathryn looked over her shoulder at the doorman and smiled it a way that could only be described as filthy, before returning her attention to her. "Do you want me to stop?"

Yes. No. One part of her brain was screaming that this was humiliating, being dominated like this with a fucking audience, but the other half was so turned on and wanted her so bad she didn't care what she did to her. Annette gave a brisk shake of her head. Kathryn leaned in and tugged on her lip with her teeth. It hurt in the best way.

"Did he come on you?"

"O-On my chest."

Her gaze shifted down to her breasts and then reaching up she violently yanked the left side of her dress down, partially exposing her. Leaning in Kathryn licked and sucked at her cleavage, as if searching for the taste of her stepbrother on her tits. Annette bucked harder on her hand, her pussy squeezing her fingers, forcing little tortured noises to escape her throat.

"Tell me Hargrove, did you suck his cock?"

She shook her head.

"That's too bad," she told her, her tone almost conversational, a sharp contrast to her hand aggressively fucking her. "I'd like to see you with a cock in your mouth, lips stretched, cheeks hollow as you gag for it."

Annette whimpered she was close, _so close_…

Kathryn continued to look unbothered as she worked her over. "Did he make you cum?"

"Y-yes…"

"Did you think of me when you came?"

Annette gave a jerky nod. Kathryn leaned in and kissed her, making her melt further. She could feel her orgasm coming. Pulling away Kathryn grabbed her neck once again, forcing her gaze on her. "Unlike him however, I don't need a toy to make you come. You see, no matter who you fuck, no matter what they do to you, it's me you need. Only I can do this to you. Say it"

"Yeah…god…Kathryn I'm…_fuck_…"

She jerked her fingers up and suddenly it all became too much. Annette shut her eyes as her orgasm overtook her. Kathryn may have been saying something to her, but she couldn't hear it. Everything just vanished for one blissful moment in time. When she opened her eyes she found herself still slumped against the wall in the foyer for the Valmont townhouse, with Kathryn standing before her, her green eyes wide with curiosity. Annette limbs felt boneless, like she could fall over at any moment. When Kathryn removed her hand, she whimpered at the loss.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Annette replied, her voice sounding raw even to her own ears. Her skin felt sticky and overheated. Glancing over at the doorman, he was still standing diligently, staring out the window, ignoring them. Even still, she tried to straighten herself up a little, fixing her shirt, ignoring the uncomfortable wetness that remained between her thighs.

Meanwhile Kathryn, looked just as fresh and unbothered as she had when she arrived. Annette dearly wanted to mess her up, fuck that make-up off her, pull her hair until it was a knotted mess. She wanted to see her sweat and cry from what she did to her. Her pride demanded it. "Take me upstairs," she quietly commanded.

Kathryn smiled a little then shook her head. "Not tonight."

Annette tried to swallow her disappointment and rejection. Before she could press further, Kathryn turned to the doorman. "Derrick please make sure Ms. Hargrove gets home safety."

"Of course, miss."

Her gaze swept over her one last time. Annette thought she saw amusement in her eyes. And why shouldn't she be amused? She just fucked her in the goddamn lobby, made her whimper and cum in front of the help. Reduced her to asking her to take her upstairs. She had won.

Annette stood helpless, shaking with rage and unsatisfied longing, as she watching Kathryn ascend the staircase as regal as a queen. "Goodnight Annette," she called behind her. "Sleep tight."

She wanted to call out something pithy, something to make her turn around, pay attention, but she didn't. Annette knew when she had been beaten.

* * *

_She was lying. She was just messing with your head._

_Kathryn is not, nor has she ever been in love with you._

_It's not fucking true._

Sebastian had been repeating this in his head ever since the blonde menace left. He thought if he kept reminding himself it would banish that odd sensation in this chest that felt suspiciously like hope or god help him, yearning. So far, no dice.

A million things were running through his mind, as he began to overanalyze every conversation he'd had with his stepsister in the past month or so, trying to siphon out clues he may have missed, some coded language he had misinterpreted. Which was stupid because this was clearly all bullshit. Hargrove was just fucking with him.

When his bedroom door opened abruptly Sebastian jumped, started out of his thoughts. He looked up surprised to see Kathryn standing there. "Evening," she sighed, letting herself in like she owned the place. Which was of course par for the course. Even when they were in the bitterest of wars, neither thought twice about encroaching on each other's private space.

"What are you doing here?" Sebastian, realizing he sounded a tad dramatic quickly amended, "I mean I thought you would still be out with Jack and his wonder cock."

Kathryn let out a long sigh as she took off her jacket, casually tossing it aside and revealing the short cocktail dress he had helped her zip up earlier that evening. "Sadly, he was much more of a prude than I would have hoped." She flounced down onto the bed and immediately he could feel the uptick of his heartbeat at her sudden proximity_. Jesus get it the fuck together_, he told himself. Kathryn was seemingly oblivious. "I mean talk about false advertising."

"Sorry."

"And what about your night?" she asked with a coy little tilt of her head.

He shrugged. "It was fine."

"_Fine_?"

"Yeah fine."

"You sounded more enthusiastic after you fucked Cecile."

Kathryn slipped out of her heels then pulled her legs up on the bed, making herself comfortable. Sebastian noticed the hem of her dress slide up, exposing her slender thighs. It wasn't a calculated move meant to seduce, which told him she'd likely been drinking. She rarely acted this careless around him sober.

"So, is it true love?"

"_What_?" he asked, alarmed.

"You and Annette."

It took him a second to figure out what she was driving at, then he remembered his stupid lie about still being hung up on Annette. Clearly Kathryn didn't buy it or didn't care, either way there was no sense keeping up the charade.

"Actually, I was never in love with Annette. Well, not now anyway. I was just saying that to mess with you."

"No!" Kathryn exclaimed with mock horror, her eyes going comically wide, before a bright grin broke out over her face. Laughing lightly, she stretched out at the foot of the bed, propping her head up on her hand. "You forget I know what you look like when you're in love."

"What-what do you mean?"

"This summer when you fell for Annette, for real. Ring any bells?" Her eyes narrowed. "Are you stoned or something? You're acting slower than normal."

He shook his head. "No, I'm just exhausted. Your little friend wore me out."

Sebastian expected her to get huffy or something, so he was genuinely surprised when instead she asked, "Well are you going to give me the gory details or what?"

His gaze swung over to the laptop, still sitting idly on the bed. "I can do better than that," he told her, pushing the computer in front of her.

Kathryn rolled onto her stomach, her curious gaze going to the screen. Her eyes widened when she saw what it was. "You recorded her?" she remarked, sounding just as outraged as Annette sounded earlier when she discovered that other video of his.

"It wasn't my idea." When she cast a disdainful look at his explanation he argued, "She wanted you to have a little memento of our night together."

Returning her eyes to the screen she smiled faintly. "She really can do petty and vindictive as well as me. What are you watching here?"

He glanced at the screen, watching himself fuck Annette, both were eyeing the computer, enthralled with the image of Kathryn masturbating on screen. Luckily, it was too blurry to make out what the images were. "Porn," he told her, which he realized sounded bizarre, but it sounded better than the truth.

Kathryn's eyes flickered up at him, seemingly saying, _what the fuck?_ Thankfully, she didn't press for further details. Watching her closely, Sebastian tried to gauge her reaction, but aside from the pink in her cheeks (which could have easily been attributed to the alcohol) he couldn't tell what was going through her mind. Instead she just laid there watching the sex tape he made of her ex-girlfriend like it was the most mundane, normal thing in the world.

Almost of their own accord, his finger found themselves skimming up her bare calf. Her skin was warm, smooth, and seductive. Sebastian traced his finger up the silky expanse of her leg all the way to the hem of her dress. It wasn't until they skated up a little higher, brushing against the crease where her ass met her thigh that she even acknowledged what was happening. Voice more husky than normal she remarked, "You really do touch me whenever you feel like it, don't you?"

Echoing his earlier refrain, he told her, "Baby, I only touch you a fraction of how often I feel like it."

_And god damn wasn't that the truth. _

Her lips twitched upwards in a brief grin, but she remained focused on the screen. When his fingers made their way under her lace panties, she shifted just slightly to allow him easier access. Sebastian traced the seam of her cunt before dipping a finger inside. She was wet. He absently wondered if it was on account of him touching her or what she was watching. He was tempted to shut the damn thing off, but he feared it would put an end to this and he very much wanted to continue to touch her. As pathetic as it was, if watching Annette allowed him to have her even in this small way, he'd take what he could get.

_I really am just as pathetic as Hargrove. Fuck._

Sebastian dipped a finger into her, just enough to tease. It was faint, but he could tell her breathing changed and her tongue shot out to wet her lips. Again, he pushed a finger inside her tight entrance, only this time he went all the way to the knuckle. Kathryn's gaze faltered, but she otherwise didn't acknowledge it. Sebastian began to fuck her with one finger, then two. When his thumb came up to ghost over her clit, Kathryn began to buck against his hand. Her breathing was ragged, but her eyes remained focused on the screen.

"I went to this party tonight, after my date," she told him, her tone conversational even though she was lightly panting. "And there was this…mmm…ah…this, threesome."

"Oh?" He didn't know what she was driving at, but he was curious. "What was the configuration? Two guys and a girl? Three girls?"

"A guy…and two girls."

Sebastian smiled faintly, his gaze falling to the video where Annette was riding him. He slipped a third finger into Kathryn, marveling at how tight she was, how good she would feel wrapped around his cock. "Interesting."

"It was hot."

He's sure it was. "Did it give you any ideas?"

"Maybe."

It was certainly giving him ideas. Was Kathryn insinuating she wanted a three way with him and Annette? He'd be lying if he said he never considered it, but something told him Annette wouldn't be on board. "Well if you ever need a hand with that…you know where to find me…"

"I'll keep that in mind." Her voice broke on the last word as he twisted his finger up, seeking her holy grail.

It was then Sebastian remembered something Annette told him earlier that evening. Something about one of his stepsister's special kinks. Curious, he removed one of his fingers from her throbbing cunt, slick with her natural lubricant, and pressed it against the rosebud of her ass. Kathryn gave a little squeal as he applied just the slightest pressure. When she began to move against his hand with more urgency, he felt he had his answer. Sebastian pushed past the tight ring of her ass, meeting some resistance but it was clear her ass wasn't virgin. But she was tight, Christ was she tight. Kathryn let out a deep, guttural moan in response, her left hand coming out to grasp the duvet as she rocked back against him asking for more. Sebastian managed to get his finger all the way inside both of her channels. With the lightest swipe against her clit she came, jerking against him, her muscles tightening and spasming around his digits as a fresh torrent of girl cum dripped out of her.

It took a moment for her to stop shaking, her head now lowered, pressed against the edge of the laptop. Sebastian reluctantly removed his hand, pulling it out to examine with dewy fingers, shiny and sticky. He sucked them clean while absently stroking himself. He was hard, despite the fact that he had already come several times that evening.

Watching her, he wondered aloud, "Who do you see when you close your eyes and cum?"

Kathryn lifted her head, looking up at him at last with a vague, impenetrable smile. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Yes, he dearly would. Was she only trifling with him now because she couldn't have Annette? Probably. Knowing she wasn't about to admit anything to him, he leaned in and kissed her. It was an odd angle, bent forward, Kathryn twisted around. Abruptly she sat up, brushing the laptop aside, she grasped him by the face and they kissed, heatedly before breaking apart. She didn't pull away, her hand still on his face as her gaze fell towards his groin, tenting his boxers. Kathryn ran a tentative hand over him like she was afraid he was bite her. Meeting his eyes, she remarked teasingly, "Haven't you had enough for one night?"

"Not of _this_."

Kathryn leaned in and kissed him again. Before anything could progress however, she was pulling away, brushing past him as she climbed off the bed. Sebastian was about to make some irritated complaint about her winding him up yet again when he turned and caught sight of her face. She looked kind of freaked out, like she just realized she was doing something she shouldn't. There was no taunting bitch grin on her face like earlier tonight. Running a hand through her hair, avoiding his gaze, she slipped back into her shoes and grabbed her coat.

"I'm…um sorry. It's late." Kathryn met his stare and he could tell she was trying to put her tough girl armor back on, but it didn't quite fit. "I have to get up early for that thing tomorrow."

Despite the fact that he had a raging boner in need of attention he nodded calmly. "Yeah, me too."

She nodded, still staring at him. He got the distinct feeling she wanted to stay but was forcing herself to go. Sebastian thought he saw a flash of regret in her eyes. "I…I'll see you tomorrow then. Night Sebastian."

"Good night."

He watched as she made an abrupt exit. Sebastian slumped back to the bed, staring at the door for a solid minute, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. Somehow, he was even more confused than he was twenty minutes ago. Over the course of one night, his priorities went from destroying the girls to…what exactly? He wasn't sure but suddenly revenge was the last thing on his mind.

Sinking back in the bed, he shoved his hand into his boxers and grabbed at this tumescent cock. Jerking it the events of the evening played over again in his head. He could still smell Kathryn on the bed and on his hand. He knew he was going to get very little sleep that night.

* * *

Kathryn left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She stood in the hallway, staring at her door, but she didn't move. She couldn't say why.

Her body was still humming from her orgasm and she could taste Sebastian in her mouth. Remembering how he felt in her hand, thick and ready Kathryn felt herself, almost involuntarily turning around. Her hand grasped the brass handle, she could feel her heartbeat madly in her chest while her hormones screamed out to _**do it already**_.

_You want this, you've always wanted this. There's nothing stopping you this time._

Except there was.

It wasn't just as simple as Annette. They technically weren't together anymore and Christ, she fucked Sebastian just a few hours ago. Had Jack been willing she eagerly would have showed him a good time. And it wasn't like she hadn't fucked Sebastian before (although those were dubious circumstances) So, she owed her nothing and yet it felt wrong, like cheating. Because she knew if they went to bed it wouldn't be just sex. It would mean something.

Kathryn let go of the door handle as if it burned her and scowled. She kept seeing Sebastian's face after she walked out. He wasn't pouting, demanding she come back and finish what she started. He had been subdued, almost careful.

As for herself, she wasn't experiencing the usual rush she got after toying with him. Normally, nothing brought her more joy then riling Sebastian up, getting him hard and desperate for her then walking away. But the thrill was no longer there. All she wanted to do was go back in there and let him tear her apart.

But then what? Kathryn didn't think she was ready for that yet.

With great reluctance she stepped away from the door and headed to her bedroom. It was the second time that night she turned her back on something she badly wanted to do. Thinking back on the desperate need in Annette's face as she came and the blatant hunger in Sebastian's eyes after she kissed him, Kathryn groaned. "I deserve a fucking metal for that," she muttered under her breath as she entered her room.

It was dark, aside from her small Tiffany bedside table lamp. She didn't turn anything else on as she tossed her coat and bag on the couch. Kathryn was shrugging out of her dress, contemplating a shower, when she noticed something sitting on top of her laptop. On closer inspection she found it was a flash drive with a note attached.

_Just in case Jack didn't get the job done. XO Annette_

Kathryn smiled wryly. "Little bitch."

She knew what it was of course, even without watching it. Taking her computer over to the bed she spread out and then paused to grab her purse. Reaching inside she removed the toy she loaned Annette earlier.

Just as she expected the flash drive did indeed show the video Sebastian had taken. Kathryn watched with avid interest as Annette pleasured herself with the vibrator until Sebastian came into frame and took over. She wished she knew what they were watching so avidly. She seriously doubted it was porn.

Turning the toy on Kathryn stretched out and took off her panties. The cool air felt good on her overheated and damp cunt. It wasn't going to take much to make her cum, but it also wouldn't satisfy her. Not for the first time that night Kathryn thought back on the threesome she witnessed earlier and wondered. How difficult would it be…?

Sighing she brought the toy between her legs and teased herself. For now, it looked like this was as close to a threesome as she was going to get. As always, she'd make the most of it.


	20. The Garden Party

**Chapter 19: The Garden Party**

* * *

"It's going to rain."

Stepping out on to the stone terrace, Kathryn looked up at the overcast sky and scowled. Despite the complete lack of sun, she adjusted her oversized shades that obscured half her expression. There was no way she was getting through this afternoon without them.

Sebastian came up behind her, his gaze trained to the sky. He too was wearing his signature shades, making him appear more aloof than normal. "It won't happen," he told her. "My aunt would never allow it. Helen Rosemond's parties don't get rained out."

Kathryn let out a long, tired sigh. She knew he was right. The old bat must have made a deal with the devil at some point to ensure the forecast always aligned with her party plans. Not so much as a single drop ever dared disturb one of her legendary soirees.

Despite the ominous clouds in the distance, this one would likely fall in line with all the rest. Kathryn's bored gaze swept over the festivities already in progress. Three large white tents were set up on the great lawn, between them a string quartet played Gershwin as inconspicuous waiters served up trays of champagne and crab cakes. Most of Manchester was in attendance, as was some of key members of Manhattan's elite. It was a scene Kathryn was all too familiar with and already dreadfully bored by.

The garden party however was merely the appetizer to the main event. Tomorrow was the gala, where anyone who mattered would be attending. Helen would be hosting that as well and the house was already abuzz with workers and servants rushing to put everything together. It might seem a little much to throw a pre-party the day before, but it was tradition and Helen was nothing if not traditional.

Reaching into her bag, Kathryn pulled out her crucifix and took a bump, knowing she was too far away for anyone important to notice. "Booze, blow and bullshit," she sighed, wiping the residual from her nostrils, "Let's get this over with."

She started down the stone steps of the terrace only to find Sebastian wasn't behind her. Turning she found him still staring up at the sky. "Hey loser," she called out, "you're not making me attend this by myself."

Sebastian stared at her a beat before following after. "You're acting very strange," she noted as he passed her on the stairs.

"No I'm not," he grumbled. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night." With a pointed look he added, "Someone kept me up."

"Don't look at me, I slept like a baby." It was a lie, but she wasn't about to admit she was just as frazzled about the events of last night as he was.

Kathryn started on the trek down to the party, when Sebastian grabbed her arm stopping her. "What?" she demanded, annoyed.

He said nothing for a long moment, just stared at her. With his sunglasses on it was nearly impossible to tell was he was thinking. Irritated, she was about to snap again when he finally spoke up. "You want to get out of here?"

"Of course," she laughed lightly, pulling out of his grip.

"No, I'm serious. Let's go get in my car and take off. It not like anyone will care. The party is for her anyway."

The her he was referring to was Annette, the unofficial guest of honor. Yet another reason she was dreading this. Kathryn could only tolerate obsequious praise if it were directed at herself.

Running a finger over the lapel of his grey Salvatore Ferragamo suit, Kathryn cooed, "And what would we do?"

He shrugged. "Talk."

"Talk?" She let out a mocking laugh. "You're slipping Valmont, you used to be much stealthier than that. Why don't you invite one of the Hadid sisters? They always seem more than susceptible to your bullshit."

"Forget it," he grumbled, scowling as he marched away.

She quickly fell into step beside him. "Why are you being so weird?" Sebastian had driven them down there and on the two hour journey he had barely said a word. Whenever she tried to engage with him all she got was monosyllabic one word answers and blank stares. Clearly something was on his mind.

"I'm not being weird," he huffed, "I told you I'm just tired."

"Uh-huh," Kathryn wasn't buying it. She had seen him like this only once before—this summer, when he fell in love with Annette and suddenly stared acting all broody and strange. This was a little too much déjà vu for her liking.

"Oh god, don't tell me you're still hung up on her? Did your little fuck fest, stir up some unresolved feelings? Cause you can just—"

"It's not that."

"So it _is_ something then?"

He seemed to walk faster. "Let it go Kathryn."

"Slow down," she ordered. "Is this because of what happened last night?"

Sebastian suddenly stopped, whirling around to face her. "What happened last night?"

The challenge was clear in the question. Neither of them had brought up the events of the night before, specifically when he got her off and she came dangerously close to giving into him. More than that though there had been something else between them, something Kathryn refused to look at too closely for fear of digging up stuff better left unresolved. She had no interest in making things even more complicated between them and if that was the reason for Sebastian's odd behavior, she was probably right to sweep it under the rug.

"_Nothing_ happened last night," she told him pointedly. "And if you're as smart as you seem to think you are, you'll remember that. For both our sakes."

"Way ahead of you sis," he replied with a sneer before turning and stalking to the party. This time Kathryn didn't try to keep up with him. Instead she watched him, trying not to think about what it was that was bothering him.

She followed him into the party, offering up a bland smile to the people who turned to greet her as she passed. Sebastian grabbed two glasses of champagne from the waiter than offered her one which Kathryn declined with a brisk shake of her head. She would have liked nothing more in that moment than to get loaded, but she also knew it wasn't an option. She might not have been the guest of honor, but all eyes were still on her.

"I can't," she told him through her debutant smile. "Thanks to that cunt Cecile, I have to be on my best behavior, less anyone suspect anything that dipshit said was true."

"Suit yourself." Sebastian took a hearty swig, secure in the knowledge that no one gave a shit what he did. Watching him Kathryn's throat burned with thirst and resentment.

Walking further into the party, her gaze swept around seeing the same people who always attended these things. "God this is lame," she muttered.

"Careful sis, your hypocrisy is showing," Sebastian chided playfully. "You didn't seem to mind when you were the guest of honor at aunties party last spring."

"Mine was charming and better attended. Speaking of which where is she?"

"Over there."

Kathryn looked over to see him gesture towards his aunt. She scowled. "Not her dummy. I was referring to your latest conquest."

"Why so interested?" he mocked. "The girl was willing to fuck me just to spite you. I think she made it pretty clear where you stand with her."

"I wouldn't count on it. She seemed more than happy to see me when I ran into her last night."

The mocking sneer fell from his face. "You didn't tell me that."

"Was I required to? Anyway, despite your grand night of passion, she still practically begged me to take her upstairs. I declined of course, it's always better to leave them wanting more. Perhaps we'll pick up where we left off…"

Sebastian didn't seem to be listening to her taunting as he became preoccupied with something over her shoulder. A slow smirk spread across his face. "I wouldn't break out the strap on just yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"See for yourself."

Kathryn turned and what she saw made her stomach drop. Forgetting for a moment her decree to remain the perfect lady she exclaimed, "You've got to be shitting me."

* * *

"It's so lovely to see you again dear," Helen Rosemond exclaimed with her typical grandmotherly warmth as she embraced Darcy.

"Oh, thank you so much for having me," Darcy replied, eyes brimming with her infectious exuberance. "Your home is as beautiful as I remember."

Standing beside them Annette observed their interaction with quiet smugness. Not that she expected Helen to greet her with anything but kindness, but she was still pleasantly surprised at how welcoming she was towards Darcy. Since her stay in Bellevue, Darcy had been avoiding most of the Upper East Side events and it had taken more than a little sweet talking on Annette's part to get her to agree to come. Watching her now, beaming under the positive attention of not only Helen, but pretty much everyone else they'd encountered, she knew she had been right to invite her.

Of course, it wasn't a purely selfless act on her part. On the long drive home the previous night, while stewing in her anger and bitterness after she let Kathryn get under her skin (among other places) Annette decided some pay back was in order. Knowing how Darcy tended to push the petite brunette's buttons, she asked her to come that afternoon. Annette felt a little guilty about using Darcy, especially since she suspected the blond was hoping they could pick up where they left off in boarding school. Annette liked Darcy but she had enough on her plate at the moment with the Lannister twins.

_Speaking of which…_

Someone was watching her. Without even turning around she knew who it was. What was that corny thing about sensing someone you love is present without even seeing them? As stupid as it was, she had that with Kathryn. Somehow, she always knew when she was around, without even seeing her.

Unable to resist a peak, Annette turned casually around, pretending to be scanning the party. Sure enough, there they were. Kathryn and Sebastian stood on the edge of the party, looking impossibly chic and bored in their matching sunglasses (despite the utter lack of sun) and aloof expressions, speaking to each other without facing each other. When Kathryn noticed her staring, Annette smiled sweetly and waved before turning back around to her guest. _Suck it bitch_.

"So dear how's your new school treating you?"

As Darcy went on about her studies and the campus, she wondered if it was possible Helen didn't know about what happened to Darcy. She doubted it. Helen was too well connected not to have heard. More likely her good manners prevented her from bringing it up. Like everyone else around them she just pretended it never happened.

"Oh, if you two will excuse me, I see Senator Gillibrand over there and I must have a word with her," Helen explained, making her exit. "I'll talk to you both later. Have fun!"

"She's so nice!" Darcy beamed. "Everybody's been so nice."

"With the exception of my father."

"Are you surprised?" she asked with a knowing half grin. "Your father hated me even before he found me naked in your bed. I think he still blames me for the time the chemistry lab caught on fire."

She knew she was right. Back at Oakwood Annette had purposefully sought out Darcy because she knew her father couldn't stand her. He had always been sternly polite to her but behind closed doors he called her a godless heathen among other things. When Darcy showed up with her that afternoon her father looked as if the Catholic church had just declared homosexuality was no longer a sin. Fortunately, as they were in public and everyone else, including Helen, was embracing her so warmly, he couldn't exactly speak out against her.

"Forget about it," Annette sighed. Eager to change the subject she asked, "So you've been here before? You never mentioned it."

Darcy's smile withered at the question. "Um, yeah. The summer before junior year… with Kathryn."

_Shit_. She should have known. Before she could apologize for bringing it up Darcy let out a light laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "Speak of the devil."

Annette followed her gaze towards the stepsiblings, who were turned away talking intimately. Watching the bubbly blond watch them, with obvious pain on her face, Annette felt a stab of guilt. Maybe this had been a bad idea. She had allowed her desire to one up Kathryn, circumnavigate her empathy towards Darcy.

"Are you okay?"

She looked back at her with a forced smiled. "Yeah, of course. I should have known they'd be here, I guess I just wasn't thinking."

"I'm sorry, I should have—"

"No, no I'm so happy you invited me," Darcy told her earnestly. "Look, I knew I'd run into them eventually. It's no big deal. Besides, they can't hurt me anymore."

Annette wasn't a hundred percent she believed that, but she'd do everything in her power to make it true.

When a waiter passed by with some champagne, Darcy grabbed two and handed one off to Annette before she could object. It probably wasn't a great look for the future student body president to be chugging down alcohol at a school event but seeing as every other teenager there was indulging without a second thought she figured when in Rome.

"You know," Darcy mused eyes still on the stepsiblings, "I never noticed it before, but there's something kind of incestuous about the two of them."

Annette coughed into her champagne, startled by the remark before catching herself. Laughing lightly, she replied, "It's funny you should mention that—"

"Oh god they're coming over," Darcy grumbled under her breath, seemingly not hearing her.

Sure enough Annette looked up just as Kathryn approached with Sebastian following in toe. Something told her, based on the wry twist of his mouth, it wasn't voluntarily. "Annette," Kathryn greeted her with her patent debutante smile as she lifted her sunglasses to sit on top of her head. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to come over and say hello."

Annette eyebrow rose at her nerve although she didn't know why she was surprised. It was Kathryn. Of course, she wasn't just going to sit silently on the side lines while Annette waved her ex in her face. Bringing Darcy that afternoon was the equivalent of shots fired and they all knew Kathryn took nothing lying down.

"Hello Kathryn," she greeted her with an equally fake smile. "I'm so happy you could come. You know Darcy Van Ryan, right?"

Without flinching she turned towards the statuesque blond. "Of course," she held out her hand. "It's lovely to see you again Darcy."

For her part Darcy just glared at her outstretched hand for an uncomfortable beat before letting out a short humorless laugh. "Fuck it," she grumbled before shaking Kathryn's hand briskly. "Nice to see you again Kathryn."

"You've met my brother Sebastian?"

Darcy glared over her shoulder at Sebastian. "Yep, hey Val."

Sebastian lifted his glance in a silent salute.

"Well, I must say Darcy your time away has done wonders for you," Kathryn remarked with all the sincerity of a snake. "You look so…well rested."

Darcy tilted her head and smiled sarcastically. "Thanks and you look…hungry. Can I fetch you something to eat or do you not do that anymore?"

Kathryn's fake ass smile didn't move. "No thanks, I'm good. So, I haven't seen you around much Darcy, where have you been hiding?"

"Boarding school. I don't get into the city much but when Annette invited me how could I say no."

Darcy reached down and squeezed her hand, not realizing she was only antagonizing Kathryn further. "How kind of her," she remarked her voice taking on a sharper edge, while her gaze shifted to Annette. "I wasn't aware you two were so close."

"Oh yeah, we go way back to our Oakwood days."

"How quaint. Well we should catch up Darcy, I'd love to know what you've been up to since your…departure."

"Well I know what you've been up to. I saw that video of you getting paint poured over your head by that freshman," she laughed. "That must have been a bitch to clean up, huh?"

While it was amusing to see Darcy needle Kathryn who more than deserved it, inwardly Annette winced. Kathryn never stood to have anyone laugh at her. She braced for impact.

"Yes, it was, but I can't fault Cecile. That poor, poor girl, having a psychotic break like that. I just feel so bad for her family. I know how much Bunny wanted her to fit in at Manchester but unfortunately some people just aren't equipped to deal with the real world. It's really sad how many young people are affected by poor mental health. I'm seriously thinking about setting up some kind of program at school. Perhaps you can lend me some insight Darcy." Leaning in she whispered, "I know you've had your own struggles in the past."

It was a low blow even for Kathryn. Seeing the mildly stricken look on Darcy's face Annette knew she had to step in before the evil brunette completely eviscerated her. "Oh, Kathryn you're so kind," Annette remarked with false sincerity. "You really are all about _brotherly love_."

Kathryn arched a brow and Sebastian smiled into his glass of champagne. Darcy didn't seem to get it. Annette was hoping she'd turn her malice on her because unlike Darcy, she could more than handle it. Kathryn of course didn't disappoint. "Annette, you know I'm so sorry I missed you last night. I wanted to ask about your date. Did you and Sebastian have a good time?"

_That would be check and mate. Fuck_.

Darcy reacted with appropriate alarm. "Are you two…seeing each other?"

They both answered at the same time.

"No"

"Not really"

"It was just for a project for school," Annette spoke up before Kathryn could make things worse. "We're not seeing each other."

Leaning in Kathryn whispered conspiratorially at Darcy, "I think they secretly like each other. Who knows our sweet little Annette, might just be the girl to cure Sebastian of his wicked ways."

"And on that note…if you'll excuse us ladies." Sebastian practically dragged his sister away by the nape of the neck, leaving them to stand behind awkwardly.

Turning to her Annette quickly apologized. "Darcy, I'm so so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking bringing you here with those two—"

"Annette I'm fine," she interjected. "Frankly, I'm more concerned about you at the moment."

"Me?"

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious what's going on."

_Shit_. Had she picked up on the clear tension between her and Kathryn? How the hell was she going to explain this? Grimacing Annette took a deep breath. "Look, Darcy I can explain."

"You don't have to say it Annette. I get it. You have a thing going with Sebastian."

For a brief moment her brain temporarily shut down and her mouth hung open before she quickly caught herself. Of course, Annette was going to deny it, but upon brief reflection she realized Darcy thinking she was boning Sebastian was actually the lesser of two evils. It was certainly better than the truth, that she was actually in love with the one person who nearly destroyed her. So sure, why not, let's go with that.

Still, she had trouble getting the words out.

"Darcy…I…um…"

"Look you have nothing to apologize for," she told her kindly. "I'm not judging you. God knows, I have no right to judge anyone."

"Darcy it's nothing, really. It just happened…a couple of times and it meant nothing. Less than nothing and it's over with."

She appeared less than convinced. "Is it? Because from what I saw, it looked far from over."

What the hell kind of vibes was she putting out there?

"You can tell me the truth Ann, did you invite me here today just to make him jealous?"

Seriously, Annette was going to throw up in her mouth if she kept this up. She was about to heatedly deny it when she realized her opening. Of course she had no interest in making Sebastian jealous, but Kathryn on the other hand…

Feeling a tad guilty for deceiving her (but not so guilty she thought twice about doing it) Annette pretended to appear chagrined as she replied quietly, "God I'm so embarrassed. I feel like such a high school moron. Do you hate me?"

"Of course not," she laughed gently, forcing her to look at her. "I get it, believe me I do. I've totally been there. Not with Sebastian…"

With Kathryn. Ironically enough.

"But Annette, I have to tell you I don't think this is a good idea getting tangled up with them. Especially Kathryn. You don't know her like I do. You don't know what she's capable of."

"I'm not afraid of Kathryn," she told her honestly. "I can handle her."

Darcy looked at her like she just told her she still believed in Santa. Disbelief mixed with pity. "Just tell me you haven't let him…videotape you or anything."

"Of course not, I would never be that stupid." She realized what she had said as soon as the words left her mouth. Wincing Annette immediately apologized. "Darcy I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's okay," she assured her with a wry smile. "I kind of had that coming. You're right, it was incredibly stupid, but promise me you'll learn from my mistakes. Stay away from them."

Annette nodded knowing even as she said it, she was lying through her teeth. "I promise."

"Good. Well since I'm here, I might as well earn my keep." She threw her arm around Annette's shoulder and leaned in close, her bright blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "Let's go show him what he's missing."

* * *

Sebastian wondered if it was possible to pass out from boredom. Listening to the man in front of him drone on about applied economics as he not so subtly tried to get the inside track on his father's latest real estate deal was akin to some kind of Chinese water torture. Why this asshat thought a fucking teenager knew or gave a shit about Manhattan real estate was beyond him. Sebastian was seriously considering giving him some bogus information just to fuck with him.

In lieu of any real entertainment, Sebastian amused himself by watching his stepsister quietly stew in anger. On her face was the typical, polite debutante smile, but Sebastian saw through her careful visage. It was there in the sharp set of her mouth and the tightness of her spine. It was taking everything in her not to lose her shit as she watched Annette pale around with Darcy.

The laymen could be forgiven for mistaking their interaction as that of good friends, but Sebastian knew what it was: an act meant to incite Kathryn wrath. And it was working. Watching the blonde as she walked arm in arm with the more statuesque girl, Sebastian wondered if Annette knew what a dangerous game she was playing. Speaking from personal experience, Sebastian knew how treacherous it was to start a war with Kathryn.

Having reached his limit of listening to the man babble in front of him, Sebastian not so politely excused himself and made a bee line for the bar. He was ordering up a scotch and soda when he felt someone come up beside him. Sebastian looked up to find Darcy. She was smiling in that way that didn't show in her eyes. "Hey Val, how's tricks?"

"Can't complain Jiggles."

She scowled at the use of her old nickname and he couldn't say he blamed her. Back when Darcy used to spend half of her time drunk and drugged out, dancing on tables, she earned the name Jiggles from her habit of falling off of them. Sebastian could never be sure if it was referring to how the tables jiggled or her ample breasts when she flounced around. Either way it stuck.

"Nobody calls me that anymore," she told him flatly.

"I'm sorry."

Sebastian used to have a thing for Darcy back in middle school. Even in the sixth grade she was what one would politely call a handful (and no he wasn't referring to her breasts which yes even back then were a handful. Puberty struck early with that one). All that wild untamed hair, those mischievous eyes and her inability to sit still no matter the situation. It was her smile though that got Sebastian. Big and luminous, Darcy seemed to smile with her whole body which back then made her something of a unicorn as at that age everyone was trying to act like they were too cool for everything. Not Darcy. She seemed to love life and all its messiness.

In sixth grade, on a field trip to the Washington monument, Darcy sat next to him on the bus ride down. They spent the whole trip together and she seemed to smile only for him. She even kissed him in the back of the bus on the way home. Sebastian was on top of the fucking world. Until the next day at lunch he found her sitting beside Marc Samuels, his hand tangled in her long hair as they frenched kiss in front of everyone. When Sebastian asked her about it, she shrugged, smiled uncomfortably then told him she liked Marc now, he understood didn't he? No, he hadn't. That had been Sebastian's first heartbreak.

In the coming years, Sebastian took a quiet satisfaction in Darcy's public stumbles. When she got shit faced at Cotillion and got kicked out, he sneered. When she got caught messing around with that congressman and his aid he smirked. When she fell off of tables, high out of her mind, with her skirt around her waist he laughed. And then, when Kathryn asked him to help ruin her due to some minor infraction, he gladly agreed. He told himself it was to do Kathryn a favor (and whatever payment he could wrangle out of her in the deal) but in all honesty it felt like payback long coming. Then when he found out about her botched suicide attempt, something like guilt took hold in his stomach and he realized all of this shit, going back to her middle school shenanigans were likely leading to this. If Sebastian was a better sort of person he might have acknowledged his anger towards Darcy was misplaced and she deserved his compassion not his scorn.

Unfortunately, Sebastian was not that kind of person. Never had been. So, like everything else unpleasant that befell him he shrugged it off and forgot about it. Until fucking Annette Hargrove brought it all back. Now here stood Darcy, still ridiculously beautiful and if he had to guess, despite the reformed image she was going for, probably still ridiculously wild.

"So, how's life on the outside treating you?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "It was Bellevue Sebastian, not prison."

"Get any good drugs?"

"Some"

He leaned in, offering up his most charming smile. "Care to share?"

She smiled back but it had decidedly more bite. "Not with you."

Drawing back from her, Sebastian took his drink from the bartender and took a long swing. "Look, if you came over here for an apology—"

"From you?" Darcy let out a low chuckle. "Please don't waste your breath. We both know you've never been sorry for anything in your pathetic life."

His brow rose at the venom in her tone. "I suppose I deserve that."

"And so much more. Lucky for you I'm not the vengeful type—unless I'm pushed." Stepping closer to him, she leaned in close and held his stare. "Stay away from Annette."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever twisted game you and that demented sister of yours are playing it ends now understand?"

Sebastian tried to wrap his brain around what she could be referring to. Clearly little Annette was filling her head with some kind of bullshit. Was she the innocent little lamb and they were the big bad wolves? He wondered if it was worth it to correct her or should he just stay out of it.

Playing dumb he remarked, "What makes you think I have an agenda?"

"You're Sebastian Valmont, you don't know how to operate without one."

He frowned. "You know if you keep speaking to me like this it's going to hurt my feelings."

Darcy wasn't impressed. "Since when do you have those?"

Growing irritated with this conversation he smiled meanly. "Touché Jiggles. Now a word of advice, your friend Annette isn't who you think she is. She's not some innocent babe in the woods. If anything, that bitch is more of a predator then I could ever hope to be. If you had any idea what she put me through this summer…"

She smiled skeptically, hands on her hips, "You honestly expect me to buy a word that comes out of your mouth? Come on Val, I might not be as skilled in these games, but I can still smell bullshit. Whatever you and Kathryn are planning it ends now. If I find out you two are messing with her, in anyway, I'll make life very difficult for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you know my father has been after me to tell him who the boy was that released that tape. I never told him it was you, but if pushed I might have to. Did you know New York State just passed a revenge porn law? Fines, jail time, it could get very messy. I'd hate to do that to your family, especially your aunt who's been so kind to me, but what choice would I have?" The chagrined expression she was wearing melted into a cold sneer as she asked, "Are you getting the picture now asshole?"

"Yep."

"Great." She hit him in the arm a little too hard. "See you around Val."

Sebastian let her trot off without another word as he ruminated on her threat. He wasn't particularly worried about it (the Valmont's litigation was infamous for a reason), but he didn't appreciate being threatened, even if it was by a twit who couldn't see when she was being manipulated. It was time he had a word with Ms. Hargrove.

He found her in the middle of getting her ass kissed by two members of the English department. In no mood to waste time, Sebastian came up and took her by the arm. "Excuse me," he told them with a fake smile. "But I need to borrow Annette for a moment. It's important."

Without waiting for their consent, he dragged the girl of the hour away. With her back turned, her pleasant if confused expression melted into an annoyed sneer. "Get off me," she hissed yanking her arm from his grip as they walked away from prying eyes and ears. "Whatever you want, make it quick. I can't be seen conversing with the school man whore. I've spent a week convincing everyone nothing happened between us and I'm not going to have you undue all my hard work with one conversation."

"Then you might want to call off your lap dog."

"What are you talking about?"

Sebastian nodded in the direction of Darcy who was currently surrounded by a gaggle of male admirers. "Tequila Barbie seems to be under the impression that I'm out to get you and you're some kind of damsel in distress in need of defending. Explain."

"I don't owe you any explanation."

Sebastian shrugged, "Okay fine, then maybe I'll start spreading few stories around myself. Hey, did you hear the one about how the two female candidates running for the student body president are secretly getting it on? I'd bet Darcy would find it enlightening."

"No!" Annette grabbed his arm. "You can't say anything to Darcy."

"Why not?" Sebastian studied her a moment and somethings started to dawn on him. "Oh, I get it, candidate for Mensa over there thinks we're the ones involved and you figure it's better for her to think that then know it's Kathryn you're hung up on."

She let out a long sigh. "Yes, you were the lesser of two evils, congratulations."

"Unbelievable, so I'm guessing she's completely clueless about what you and my darling sister were up to all summer."

"Of course."

Sebastian nodded sagely. "Well then, as someone who's been on the receiving end of your bullshit, I think it's my sworn duty to warn her what she's getting into with you."

He started away but before he could make it two steps, Annette grabbed him by the jacket and hauled him back. "Open your mouth Valmont and so help me I'll tell her about the incestuous freak show that is your relationship with Kathryn. What do you think she'd do with information like that?"

His eyebrows rose at the threat even though he knew it was hollow at best. While she wouldn't think twice about screwing him over in such a way, Kathryn was another story. A rumor like that would absolutely destroy her and while Hargrove talked a big game, he knew there were some lines even she wouldn't cross. Still, the threat did its job and he backed off. Honestly, he didn't want to get any further engrossed in this bullshit than he already was.

Which was odd since just this time last week that was all he wanted.

Turning away from him, confident in silence Annette stared out at the party. To anybody else it appeared like she was just observing the festivities, but Sebastian knew the truth. She was only watching one person. Kathryn. As always.

Running a hand down her bare back he taunted, "It's hard, isn't it? Wanting what you can't have."

Annette shrugged him off, irritated. "Stop that. I'm not _her_, I don't get turned on by your little mind games."

"Don't you?" He laughed.

"And for the record I can have her whenever I want. In fact, I did, just last night."

"From the way she told it _she_ had you."

The smugness temporarily vanished from her face as she sneered at him. "What do you want Sebastian?"

"To offer you some advice: stop poking the bear. I know it's fun to antagonize her but trust me, speaking from personal experience, it's not worth it. Eventually Kathryn _will_ poke back and when she does, neither of you are going to survive it."

Annette turned to him, her mouth curving up in a bemused half smile. "Funny, I was under the impression that was what you wanted."

Sebastian let out a weary sigh. "Yeah, so was I."

* * *

"Annette Hargrove is one of the most accomplished and well rounded young women I've ever had the privilege of meeting…"

Kathryn was ready to scream. For the past twenty minutes she was forced to sit and listen to Mrs. Rosemond drone on about what a wonderful asset Annette was to Manchester while everyone around her listened in rapt attention. The girl in question meanwhile, sat beside her, a soft modest smile on her face and a gentle blush on her cheeks. Kathryn resented that most of all. She'd give anything to be able to blush on command.

"Manchester is so very lucky to include you as one of our own. In the short time you've been with us you've done so much to help not only the student body but the community at large. She is in my opinion a model student that all others should hope to learn from…"

Look, it wasn't as if she begrudged Annette her ambition. Hell, it was one of her most attractive qualities (outside of her fantastic ass). However, when it started threatening Kathryn's own ambition was when they had a problem. And right now, given the way everyone was rushing to kiss her ass, they had a big fucking problem. Kathryn was the most beloved girl on the Upper East Side and she wasn't about to hand that title over to anyone—even if she happened to be in love with her.

If all of this wasn't enough to put her in the foulest of moods, there was also the fact that she had to contend with watching the blond moron putting her slutty paws all over her the entire afternoon. Realistically, Kathryn knew Annette had only brought her there to annoy and agitate her. It wasn't as if they had actually had time to hook up, but it was still grating. Which she supposed was the whole point.

Glancing over at Sebastian she half expected him to be asleep, but he was wide awake and staring intently at Darcy. _Perv_. Kathryn was initially annoyed until she realized she could use this to her advantage.

Leaning in, she spoke softly enough that only he could hear. "You know she may be a drunken half wit but there's something to say about the way Van Ryan fills out a dress."

Sebastian half turned to her, with a mildly amused expression. "Thinking of going back for seconds sis?"

"Please, her tits aren't _that_ nice."

"Yes they are."

Kathryn glared at him. "Still holding a torch for your middle school first love I see"

"Hardly, just a genuine appreciation for the female form. And before you even ask the answer is no." Sebastian looked over at her with a knowing grin. Asshole.

She pouted. "Why not? Every guy here has a hard on for her."

"Then go ask one of them to do it. I have no interest in Hargrove's sloppy seconds."

"Funny, that didn't seem to be a problem for you last night," she quipped.

A brief look of surprise flashed over her stepbrother's face. Kathryn raised her brow as if taunting him to say otherwise. Scowling, Sebastian slumped further into his seat and grumbled, "The answer is still no."

The party erupted in polite applause when Mrs. Rosemond finished speaking and everyone returned to their earlier conversation. Kathryn watched Darcy as she got up from her seat and muttered something to Annette before heading for the house. She realized this was her chance.

Getting to her feet as well, Kathryn sneered at her stepbrother, "Fine, if you won't help me, I'll just do it myself."

"Great," he replied unenthusiastically, eyes heavy with boredom. "Have fun."

Kathryn cursed at him in her head, dearly wishing they weren't currently in polite company so she could tell him to kindly fuck off. Instead, she followed after Darcy, making sure that Annette was preoccupied talking to Aunt Helen to notice her departing as well. Kathryn figured Darcy was likely heading for the ladies room, but she also knew that girl had serious ADD and would likely get distracted on the way. Luckily, Darcy wasn't terribly complicated, and Kathryn had a pretty good idea where she'd end up.

Entering the house Kathryn headed for the sunroom in the west wing, that overlooked the pond out back. Sure enough as she approached the door, she found her standing in the room, gazing with blank eyes out at the pond. Back when she was seducing Darcy, Kathryn brought her here and one afternoon. They went swimming in that pond until it started to rain and the came inside where they fucked on the sofa Darcy was currently leaning against. Apparently, she was more sentimental that she gave her credit for. Kathryn grinned. This would be a cinch.

Clearing her throat, she stepped into the room and Darcy turned. Kathryn offered up a small smile. "Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Oh, somehow I doubt that," she replied with no emotion. "What are you doing here?"

Taking a seat on the couch she ran a hand over the soft fabric and flashed her a flirty grin. "Reliving old memories?"

"More like past mistakes. What do you want Kathryn?"

She pretended to look affronted. "Must I always have an agenda?"

"Yep. Pretty much. You clearly followed me for a reason what is it?"

Towering over her, arms crossed to her chest the blond starred her down. Kathryn laughed lightly, getting to her feet. "You're right I do have an agenda. I came to apologize to you."

A smirk curved around her lips as she reacted with disbelief. "_You_ came to apologize?"

"Yes, the way I treated you was abhorrent. The things I said to you were unforgiveable and if they in any lead to you…trying to hurt yourself I'm so sorry Darcy. You have to understand I never meant for things to go that far. I know you'll never forgive me and I get that, but I'd like if we could at least try to be friends."

Darcy stared at her a moment before letting out a short incredulous scoff. "You honestly expect me to buy that horseshit?"

Kathryn frowned. "It's the truth. Look I know I hurt you—"

"You called me a broken toy, you compared me to a goddamn _toilet_ seat—"

"You slept with my brother," Kathryn argued. "How did you expect me to react?"

"Oh, so now you're telling me you videotaped us because you were hurt?"

"We both know how irrational I can be when provoked."

_A lesson Hargrove would learn all too soon._

When she didn't have an immediate snappy retort, Kathryn figured she might be getting to her. Sitting back on the couch she stretched out, allowing the hem of her dress to slide up exposing her thighs. "Do you remember this couch?"

Darcy gazed lingered a moment too long on her exposed legs before clearing her throat, looking uncomfortable. "Yeah, of course I do." She sagged down on the couch beside her. "I remember everything about that summer."

"Me too."

Edging closer to her, Kathryn reached out and cupped her face. "You were so beautiful," she told her with all the earnestness she could muster. "Sometimes it hurt to look at you."

"Y-you never…said anything like that to me before."

"I'm sorry. I should have told you. Just another mistake on my part."

Moving even closer to her on the sofa, Kathryn leaned in to kiss her. Just as her lips were grazing Darcy's however, the taller girl grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back to meet her knowing smile. "_You're so beautiful it hurts to look at you?_" she mocked, "Ah, baby you got to do better than that. I expect that kind of cheesy bullshit from your brother, not you. Did you honestly expect me to fall for that crap?"

Realizing it wasn't going to happen, Kathryn showed her cards. "Actually, I did," she hissed back, "You never were terribly bright."

Darcy merely smiled and jerked her head back further. "Ah, there she is. The real Kathryn Merteuil, rotten to the heart. I wondered how long it would take you to show your true colors."

"Let go of me bitch."

"With pleasure."

Darcy dropped her grip, pushing her away gruffly as she rose to her feet. Standing over her she sneered, "You know I spent a long time wondering what I could have done to make you treat me so horribly. There was a part of me that thought I deserved it. But the truth is, it wasn't me, it was always you. Kathryn, you're nothing more than some pathetic little girl who can only find joy by destroying other people. You're a goddamn psychopath."

"As opposed to you," she snarled getting to her feet, "A self-involved train wreck, who never met a pity party she didn't want to join. Maybe you never intentionally set out to hurt anyone Darcy, but you have just the same. You've left a trail of destruction in your path that put's mine to shame. At least I own mine."

Her confidence wavered a little as she told her, "I've changed."

"Yeah, and I have three tits. People don't change Darcy. Oh you can follow your twelve steps to the letter, make your amends, tell yourself every night they you'll be a good girl from now on, but it doesn't change who you are—a sparkly toy people like to play with and dispose of because it gets boring _so fast_."

Kathryn half expected Darcy to run out at that, go cry on Annette's shoulder about what the big bad bitch said. However, she surprised her when instead she smiled and shook her head. "You're completely miserable, aren't you? At the end of the day that's what this is really all about. You hate your life, you resent anyone else's happiness, so you want to make everyone as miserable as you are. That's sad Kathryn. I actually feel sorry for you."

"I'm plenty happy," she argued lamely.

Darcy just shook her head. "Sweetheart you wouldn't know happiness if it came up and fucked you in the ass." Tilting her head she added with a mocking grin, "Incidentally are you still into that?"

"Screw you, tits for brains"

"No thanks, not anymore." Turning on her heel she headed for the door calling over her shoulder, "Well as charming as this was, I think I have a better offer waiting for me."

"She's in love with somebody else you know."

Darcy threw her one last taunting look over her shoulder. "Not for long."

She departed, closing the door behind her as she did. Kathryn waited all of ten seconds before reaching for the nearest object, a delicate mid-century vase, and hurling it across the room with a scream. The vase crashed across the opposite wall, taking down a heavy portrait at the same time. It did nothing to sooth her however. Kathryn reached for her purse, her shaking hands fumbling for her cross, only to find her stash gone. She cursed herself for not refilling it before she left.

Listening as that moron's words replayed in her head, she was eager to escape them and the bad taste the whole conversation left in her mouth. Storming out of the sunroom she headed back the way she came, exiting out onto the terrace where she nearly collided with Sebastian. His eyes widened slightly when he took in her angry state. "I take it the reunion didn't go as planned?"

"What was your first clue?" she snarled at him as her gaze caught on Annette, standing at the foot of the steps with her aunt, chatting amicably with Darcy at her side. Their eyes met. She was annoyingly smug. If Darcy hadn't told her yet, she soon would. They'd probably have a great laugh about it.

Suddenly a waiter brushed past them, carrying several bottles of champagne. Kathryn reached out and grabbed one from him. Sebastian's brow shot up. "I thought you were concerned about keeping a low profile?"

"Fuck it." Grabbing her stepbrother by the jacket she tugged him in the other direction, down the back terrace. "You still want to get out of here?"

* * *

"Easy killer, save some for me."

Kathryn scowled at him like a little kid told they had to share their toy before reluctantly shoving the bottle of Dom 98 at his chest. Sebastian took a swing, keeping an eye on his stepsister as she wandered further into the garden. Their plan to 'get out of there' were derailed when they discovered Sebastian's jag was currently buried in the avalanche of expensive automobiles of their fellow partygoers.

They waited for fifteen minutes as one of the drivers attempted to get it out only for Kathryn to grow impatient and stalk off. Sebastian followed, more out of curiosity then anything, as they ended up in his aunt's garden. It was a carefully curated space, home to dozens of rare flowers and was considered one of the most exclusive gardens on the east coast, if not the country. His aunt was very particular about who she allowed to view it. Even as a child Sebastian wasn't allowed to visit it unattended.

And here was Kathryn, climbing of the small iron gate that surrounded it like Godzilla getting ready to invade Tokyo.

"You know if Auntie finds out you came in here without permission, you might not be her favorite little debutante anymore," he chided, coming up behind her.

"Auntie can suck my dick," she sneered over her shoulder.

Sebastian smiled against the lip of the bottle. 'Don't-give-a-fuck' Kathryn was his favorite Kathryn second only to drunk and horny Kathryn. When she was like this, she didn't care about anything, least of all her precious rep. It was Kathryn unleashed and it could be highly amusing or highly dangerous, like the time Sebastian ended up getting his ass kicked after Kathryn picked a fight with some guys at a club who were coming on to her. He told himself it was for his own safety that he follow her.

"So, I'm guessing old Jiggles really got to you, huh?" It had to have been bad to bring out Kathryn at her most reckless.

Swinging back around, Kathryn took the bottle back. "Not a chance."

"Then you just decided to get wasted at a school sponsored event for shits and giggles?"

She stopped and her expression grew serious. "I'm just so fucking _exhausted_. Aren't you exhausted Sebastian?"

Her abrupt shift in mood caught him off guard. "Sure," he replied, a little wary.

Nodding Kathryn resuming walking, this time at a much slower pace. Sebastian fell into step beside her as they both grew quiet, the only sound was their feet on the grass and the far away sounds of the party. The silence started to make Sebastian anxious and he was about to say something to cut the tension when Kathryn spoke up, her voice quiet and contemplative. "Have you ever wished you could go back in time?"

This was easily the strangest conversation they ever had and they'd done mushrooms together. "Sure," he replied. "Everyone does."

"Do you wish you could ever change, be someone else? Not be…how we are?"

"I guess," he shrugged. "What's brought on this existential crisis? Don't tell me Darcy actually got to you?"

"Please," she huffed. "I don't give a shit about her or her fake tits."

Attempting to inject a little levity into the maudlin conversation he playfully nudged her side remarking, "I think we _both_ know they're real." When this didn't bring so much as a smile he pressed, concern edging into his voice, "What is it?"

"Lately I feel like I'm going in circles, I keep making the same mistakes. I can't seem to help myself."

"I thought Kathryn Merteuil didn't make mistakes?"

She jerked the bottle back from him sneering, "Forget it."

Realizing this was his moment to possibly have an honest conversation with her and he was fucking it up, Sebastian swiftly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't…yes I know what you mean. Sometimes it feels like I can't outrun my worst impulses. In the back of my mind, I know I'll regret it later on, but I can't seem to resist the lure of temptation."

Kathryn nodded along, clearly lost in her own thoughts as she came to a stop besides his aunt's prized roses. She began to carelessly pull the petals off, before flicking them aside. "Darcy said something about how I don't know how to be happy. I think she might be right."

"Well that would certainly be a first," he quipped, poking at one of the roses thorns. Looking over at her he asked, "Are you happy?"

"Presently, no. Are you?" Sebastian gave a brisk shake of his head averting her eyes. "When was the last time you were happy?"

He inhaled sharply, thinking back. "I don't know, probably when I was with Annette last summer, but since that was all a big fat lie, I guess it doesn't really count."

"You told her in your letter that was the only time you've ever been happy."

Sebastian thought he detected a note of hurt in her voice but maybe he was just projecting. Either way he amended, "That might have been a bit of hyperbole. I…do you remember the summer before last? The week we spent on the yacht?"

A smile tugged at her lips as she met his stare. "Yeah."

"I was happy then"

"Me too."

The summer before junior year, they were forced to attend a 'family' vacation sailing around the Amalfi coast. It had been hell until their parents disembarked for parts unknown leaving them alone. With minimal staff it had just been them alone at sea, sailing around. Under normal circumstances it would be a recipe for disaster but somehow it was the complete opposite. With nobody else around to distract her and nobody around to perform for, Kathryn had been complete chill and wonderful. They swam and they drank and they talked. Sure, it had also been blue ball hell, but it hadn't mattered. He was happy.

Kathryn stepped towards him, her expression growing serious again. Pressing her hand to his chest, her gaze bore into his. "If I told you I was about to do something bad, something I knew I would regret later would you try to stop me?"

Sebastian honestly didn't know how to answer that. "It depends. Would it benefit me?" He gave her a cheeky smile to show he was kidding.

"Not really," she replied, still serious. "Well would you?"

He hedged, not entirely sure before deciding to deflect. "You know sis, you're sounding dangerously close to a human being right now. Since when do you care about regrets?"

Kathryn scowled, taking the bottle back. "Since I started caring," she mumbled against the bottle before taking a swig. "Tuttle was right, once you start caring you're fucked. I mean look what happened with you."

She swung back around but Sebastian wasn't ready to end the conversation just then, especially not when it seemed he might get some answers from her. "Kathryn, wait a minute—"

He grabbed at her arm, only he must have caught her off guard because as she turned, her heel slid on the grass, sending her backwards. Sebastian tried to grab her but only ended up falling as well, landing awkwardly on top of her. As he got his bearings, he could feel her trembling underneath him. He sat up immediately concerned that she was hurt until he realized she was laughing. Seeing her like this, completely open with no wall he smiled. "You alright?"

She grinned up at the sky shaking her head, "No, this has been the worst fucking day." Kathryn pulled herself up, examining her now dirty dress. "We're a mess."

Sebastian looked down at his own light colored suit, now scuffed from the dirt and sighed, "And not just figuratively this time. There's probably some kind of karma afoot."

"Karma can eat me," she grumbled staring at something over his shoulder.

He turned but found nothing, except the ever darkening sky. "We should get inside and get cleaned up."

Sebastian started to get up, taking her hand as well, only for Kathryn to haul him back down. "Not yet." She suddenly threw her leg over his lap, straddling him. Sliding her arms around his neck, her gaze now hungry and flirty she told him, "I want to forget about today, I want to forget about everything. Have any idea how I can do that?"

Although he was caught off guard by yet another mood shift, the clear desire in her tone immediately sent his hormones on alert. Licking his lips, his gaze lingered on her cleavage before moving up her neck to settle on her lips, while he rested his hands on her waist, pinning her against his lap. "I have a few ideas."

Her red lips quirked upwards. "Thought you would."

"You could…have a glance of wine, take a bath, or…"

"Yes?"

"Or we could just have crazy, wild sex until we get sick of each other."

Kathryn's grin deepened, her hand curving around his neck, drawing him closer. "I knew I could count on you."

They came together in a quick burst of passion, mouths open and eager, hands roaming and greedy. Sebastian's brain temporarily shut down as he gave himself over to it, ignoring the annoying voice in his head screaming that Kathryn would never behave like this at a school event under normal circumstances. When they broke away, gasping for breath, a sort of triumphant look flashed in his stepsister's eyes making him just slightly uneasy. It was then he remembered what he wanted to ask her. "Kathryn, Annette said something to me last night—"

"It doesn't matter," she replied, drawing him back into a kiss. Once again, he started to let himself get taken over until he heard something behind him. Jerking back, he glanced over his shoulder to find Annette lingering just outside the garden, watching them before dipping away.

Whipping back around to face his stepsister, he studied her. She didn't look the least bit surprised. Realization dawning on him he remarked, "You knew we had an audience."

Kathryn merely smirked as she flicked her tongue over his lips. "Like you mind."

"Actually, I do." Sebastian abruptly pushed her off and got to his feet.

"Are you serious right now?"

"This game is growing tedious. I told you I'm done being your toy Kathryn," he growled, running a hand through his hair, cursing himself for falling for her shit again. When will he ever learn?

"You're done, when I say you're done," she shot back, making a grab for him that he easily deflected.

"And here I thought you were in danger of turning into a human being." Turning he walked away with her calling after him, but he ignored it, wondering how he could be so stupid. Was this what she was alluding to about doing something she'd regret? No, that was probably just bullshit. This was all just a game to stick it to Annette. She didn't give a shit about him, she never had.

Sebastian stormed out of the garden, only to find Annette standing there, arms crossed looking pissed. "Going so soon?" she spat.

He paused only long enough to sneer, "She's all yours. I warmed her up for you."

"You're pathetic, you know that?"

Sebastian stopped and turned back to her. "And yet I'm not the one hiding in the bushes, am I?"

"Hey! What did I tell you?"

They both looked up to see an angry Darcy running over to them. Placing herself between them she snarled, "I told you to leave her alone Sebastian. One word to my father and he'll—"

"It's okay Darcy," Annette spoke up. "It's nothing. I can handle him."

Turning back to her, she cupped her face in a decidedly intimate gesture. "You shouldn't have to baby," she cooed. "He has no right to talk to you like that."

Sebastian watched them, quickly picking up on Annette's distinctly uncomfortable body language. He realized then poor, pain-in-the-ass Darcy was clearly getting strung along not unlike how Kathryn strung him along. Despite his dislike of the girl he did feel an odd kinship with her in that moment. Which might explain what he did next.

"Jesus Christ Hargrove, are you going to tell her or am I?"

Annette glared at him. "Shut up Valmont."

"I don't care what happened between you two," Darcy hissed at him. "Your stupid games won't work. She wants nothing to do with you."

"Yeah no shit. Look, I don't know what she's filling your head with, but nothing happened between us expect a few mediocre fucks. She was never in love with me and for the record she's not in love with you either. However, there is someone she's in love with." Putting a finger to his mouth, Sebastian pretended to think. "Let's see who could it be?" When Darcy stared at him confused, he rolled his eyes. "Come on I know you're not the sharpest slut at the bar, but even you must know by now. Who's missing for this picture? Who do you know who loves nothing more than bringing pain to everyone she meets?"

Darcy looked back at Annette stricken. "K-Kathryn? You're in love with Kathryn?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Annette opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. "Face it Jiggles, we've both been played. We were the pansies in their sick twisted game."

"Darcy I…"

She was cut off by a loud roar of thunder followed by a sudden onslaught of rain. Staring up at the storm clouds above Sebastian smiled with little humor. "Well what do you know. The bitch was right."

* * *

Darcy took it better than she anticipated. Meaning, she didn't go running to the door. Not at first anyway.

Annette didn't tell her the whole truth of course. She purposely left out all the incest-y parts concerning Kathryn and Sebastian, because despite everything she still has that stupid instinct to protect the bitch. Everything else however was fair game: meeting Kathryn at orientation, the bet, seducing and destroying Sebastian, falling in love with Kathryn, fighting with Kathryn, fucking Kathryn…

She tried not to linger too much on that.

Still, Darcy got the point. She sat in the middle of the four poster bed of Annette's guest bedroom cross legged, wet from the rain, her long hair matted to her face. The towel Annette had given her lay forgotten beside her as she stared shell shocked into space.

Sitting across from her at her vanity table, Annette dried her hair with a towel. With every passing second of silence that greeted her she grew more anxious until finally she demanded, "Well aren't you going to say something?" Darcy's gazed over at her with hollow, lifeless eyes but said nothing. Eager to alleviate the tension that had befallen them, Annette remarked teasingly, "Shocked you into silence, have I?"

Darcy wasn't amused. "You could say that, yeah."

Annette's jovial expression fell away. "Darcy, I'm sorry, I didn't want you to find out like that. From him."

"Were you ever planning on telling me?"

She could feel the lie on her lips but decided her best bet in this case was the truth. "No," she admitted. "Probably not."

Darcy rolled her eyes and shook her head away. "Ann what you did…it's really fucked up."

"I know I'm sorry I—"

"I mean I actually feel sorry for Sebastian."

Annette made a face. "You shouldn't. He more than had it coming." And after he ran his mouth to Darcy, he had even more shit coming his way, she would make sure of it.

"He was in love with you Annette. That was probably the only time he's ever felt that in his whole miserable life and it was all just a game to you."

Feeling irritated by the self righteous tone in her voice she got to her feet, arguing, "Do you honestly think Valmont sits around feeling bad about all the girls he's destroyed? Do you think he gave a second thought about what he did to you? Believe me Sebastian Valmont doesn't deserve your compassion."

Darcy turned her suddenly shrewd gaze on her. She seemed to be sizing her up before remarking flippantly, "But I suppose you think Kathryn does?"

"Of course not."

"But you were in love with her, right?"

Annette looked away as she muttered, "Yeah."

"And she loved you?"

"Yes"

Darcy let out a sarcastic chuckle that sounded so foreign coming from her. "As if that manipulative bitch knows anything about love. You have to know she's playing you. Tell me you know that Annette."

"She's not—"

"Of course she is! That's what she does. Kathryn doesn't know how to love, only use and destroy, She's a selfish, psychotic—"

"Stop," Annette told her. "You don't know her like I do. She's…complicated."

Darcy looked at her as if she was the most foolish woman alive. Perhaps she was. "You invited me here just to make her jealous, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Yes but…"

Annette trailed off as she watched Darcy get up off the bed and head for the door, clutching her heels to her chest. "Darcy wait—"

She wheeled around, anger flashing in her face. "How could you? After everything she did to me."

"I didn't think she was involved."

"Yeah, but after I told you…you're still in love with her. It doesn't matter to you at all does it?"

"Of course it does." She reached out to touch her arm, only to have her fling it off. "I'm sorry for involving you in any of this. You know I wish to god I never met her sometimes."

She didn't mean it of course and Darcy saw right through it. "You're lying. Even now…I would never have thought…but you're just like her, aren't you? You're not as mean or as blunt, but it's there all the same—the ruthless disregard for others, the game playing, the manipulating. Even back in Oakwood. Tell me the truth, did you even like me back then or was it just because your father hated me?"

"I liked you Darcy, I've always liked you—"

"But that day after Biology, when you invited me back to your dorm and we… it was the same afternoon your father reprimanded me at that assembly. You seduced me to piss him off, admit it."

Annette didn't say anything, couldn't say anything really. She could insist otherwise but she didn't see the point. Darcy knew the truth. When she didn't reply, Darcy smiled without humor and shook her head. "That's what I thought. Look, I have to get going. I'll, uh, see you around."

"Darcy wait—"

She was out the door before Annette could stop her. For a brief moment she flirted with the idea of going after her, making some impassioned speech. Annette was an Olympic level bullshit artist and she knew without a doubt she could pull it off, but she didn't want to. Darcy didn't deserve to get dragged further into her mess.

For as long as she had known her, Darcy had placed her on a pedestal. She always used to joke about how in awe she was of Annette and she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. Well, it was safe to say after today she permanently off it. She wondered if she would ever talk to her again, much less forgive her.

Annette had every intention of changing out of her wet clothes when there was a knock at her door. She turned immediately to answer it, thinking it might be Darcy. However, when she threw open the door, she found someone else altogether. Kathryn.

Unlike everyone else at the party who got caught in the rain and turned into a drowned rat, Kathryn appeared perfectly polished, albeit in a new black dress. Even her hair was blown dry. It only served to piss Annette off further.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Kathryn didn't so much as flinch at her harsh tone. "Can we talk?"

Annette sighed and thought about slamming the door in her face, but curiosity won out. Rolling her eyes she walked away but left the door open allowing Kathryn to enter. "I passed Darcy on the stairs," she told her. "She looked all pouty."

"That's because your shithead brother couldn't keep his mouth shut about us," Annette explained, her tone clipped and irritated. She took a seat at the vanity and attempted to comb out her wet hair. "I had to tell Darcy about us and what went down this summer."

She didn't miss the way Kathryn's eyes widened momentarily at the revelation, but she hid her alarm behind her placid exterior asking, "What exactly did you tell her?"

Annette considered letting her stew in her panic for a little bit, but she wasn't in the mood to toy with her. Turning around she said, "Relax, I left out some of the more incriminating details, such as your super special relationship with your brother."

She could see the tension visible melt off of her. "You're telling me you had the chance to screw me over and you didn't take it?" A slow smirk spread across her face. "God are you a chump."

"No shit." Annette turned back around and resumed brushing her hair, while keeping a partial eye on her reflection in the mirror. "What do you want Kathryn?"

She came up behind her, removing the brush from her hand she began combing Annette's hair herself, in careful measured strokes. It felt good, her scalp tingling, sending little sparks of pleasure down her back. If Kathryn was aware of what she was doing to her she didn't show it.

"I've come to wave the white flag," she announced.

"Oh?" Annette didn't buy it for a second. Kathryn didn't give up, her pride wouldn't allow it, they had that in common.

"I'm sick of fighting with you. I mean, it's not getting us anywhere."

"Sure you're not just saying that because you're losing?" she asked with a wry smile. "I mean first Darcy turns you down and then Sebastian…well he didn't look too terribly eager to stick around. Maybe you're losing your touch."

Kathryn frowned, her hand momentarily pausing. "It won't work," she told her confidently. "You can push my buttons all you like."

Ignoring her she continued to tease, "Did you really tell Darcy she was so beautiful it hurt to look at her?" she laughed, "I mean that's just embarrassing."

Scowling, Kathryn tugged sharply on her hair. "OW!"

"What's the matter baby?" Kathryn leaned in. "I thought you liked it rough."

Annette spun around and yanked the brush out of her hand. "Bitch."

Turning on her heel, Kathryn walked away, looking frustrated. "Why are you making this so difficult? Can't you see I'm trying to apologize."

"Oh, is that what you're trying to do?" she mocked, getting to her feet. Turning her back on her she demanded, "Unzip me, I have to get out of this."

She held her breath when she felt Kathryn come up behind her and her fingers, brushed against her back while she toyed with the zipper. She could feel Kathryn's breath hot on her neck. Slowly she unzipped her dress and Annette prayed she couldn't hear her heart hammering in her chest as she did. She reached for the straps, drawing them down her arms with deliberate slowness, before letting it fall to the floor in a wet heap around her ankles leaving her in only a flimsy satin bra and panties. The very same Kathryn had purchased for her that Annette had refused to wear because of their expensive price tag.

Behind her, Kathryn clucked her tongue. "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Annette turned around. "They went with the dress."

"Amongst other things," she remarked with a suggestive raised eyebrow, her gaze traveling down the length of her body. Kathryn reached out and touched her waist, her fingers toying with the thin silky material of her pale blue panties. "I knew this would look amazing on you. It's a shame you were going to let these go to waste on that blonde simpleton."

Just feeling her touch her, even teasingly was making her brain malfunction and her concentration go to shit. "I was never going to sleep with Darcy," she found herself admitting.

"So, you were just trying to drive me mad," Kathryn remarked, tugging her a little closer.

"It seemed to do the trick."

Annette couldn't take it anymore. Her will power was good, but it was no match for Kathryn, and her fuck-me eyes. Grasping her by the face, Annette pulled her into a kiss, one that she easily reciprocated. Kathryn groaned against her lips, her own tongue eagerly pushing against hers as she wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her tight against her. They made-out with all the passion of two lovers who hadn't seen each other in years. When they eventually broke apart it was Kathryn who stepped away first.

"I…um…"

Annette smiled in the face of her uncertainty. "A loss for words? That had to be a first Merteuil."

She looked back at her, a crease between her eyes as if she was lost. "I should get going. There's still some people I need to talk to."

Kathryn started to leave and Annette felt an immediate sharp pain of panic rise in her chest. Determined not to be rejected again she grabbed her arm, hauling her back. "The hell you are," she told her. "You don't get to walk away this time."

She kissed her again, this time more fiercely, as if she was trying to convince her to stay. She supposed she was. Annette let out an internal sigh of relief when Kathryn kissed her back with equal intensity. And she put up no resistance when Annette led her back to the bed. They fell to the mattress, a messy tangle of limbs, over eager hands and thrusting tongues. Kathryn reached inside her bra, palming her breasts as Annette got to work tracing all of her erogenous zones. When her fingers gently teased under her knee, Kathryn bucked against her, breaking away from her mouth to call out. Annette smirked in triumph as she made her way down her body, pushing up her dress as she did. It felt as if it had been eons since she tasted her and the thought of waiting even one minute longer seemed like torture.

Sliding off the bed, she got down on her knees in front of her, holding Kathryn's thighs open. She teased her a little, but she was too eager to linger on too much foreplay. She didn't even want to waste time removing her panties, she just shoved the expensive lace aside to drink from her wet little cunt. Kathryn was shaved bare (she refused the current fad of a cute little bush) and her lips were a soft pink that matched her nipples. On the first swipe of her tongue, her hips bucked. Annette looked up to find her staring at her cell phone.

"What are you doing?"

"It doesn't matter," Kathryn told her, panting slightly, as she reached for her head and forced her back to work. Annette did as instructed, too overcome by lust to question her further. She was teasing her clit with her tongue when Kathryn began to speak again, "You know I've been thinking…about what you said that day in the locker room…oh god…yes…about being more like poison, less like a gun…and…I think…I have to respectively…disagree…"

Annette was only half listening to what she was saying as she was too involved with her task (not to mention she couldn't hear all that well with Kathryn's thighs against her face). Before she could question any of it, the bedroom door suddenly opened and Annette jumped back only to come face to face with her stunned father.

"Get off of me!" Kathryn yelped, shoving her away and scrambling off the bed. "I told you I'm not like _that_!"

Annette watched stunned as she turned to her father and exclaimed, "You have to believe me headmaster, this was all _her_. I told her to stop but she wouldn't listen."

It was then she realized who exactly Kathryn had been texting (with her phone no less). She set this up. She set _her_ up. And she fell for it. "You fucking bitch," Annette gasped, more heartbroken than angry.

"I understand Kathryn," her father responded gruffly, barely looking at her. "I'm very sorry for what my daughter has done. It seems we need to have a talk. If you wouldn't mind keeping this to yourself…"

"Of course," Kathryn replied. "If you'll excuse me."

She hurriedly made for the exit, moving around her father standing imposingly in the middle of the room, glaring at her like he was the judge and jury. Before she left, Kathryn paused at the door and looked back at her. Standing behind her father she flashed Annette that familiar evil smirk and mouthed, 'Bang, bang, bitch.'

Annette glared hatefully back at her as she exited, abandoning her to her fate.

"Well," her father's deep voice boomed menacingly. "It appears dear daughter, you violated our agreement. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm fucked."


	21. The Stormy Night

**Chapter 20: The Stormy Night**

* * *

Kathryn hated reading. It wasn't like she was some kind of illiterate simpleton who didn't understand the pleasures of losing one's self in someone else's words. She _got_ _it_. She just didn't care for it. She much preferred to experience something in real life, then to read about it on some dusty old page.

Yet here she was, curled up on the leather chesterfield in the library of the Rosemond estate, in front of a crackling fire with a glass of bourbon and a thick novel she had little to no interest in. Outside the wind and rain battered loudly against the old house. It was all optimal conditions for a cozy night in but try as she might Kathryn couldn't lose herself in the words of Tolstoy. Perhaps she should have gone for something a little more trashy. Unfortunately, Mrs. Rosemond's collection was severely lacking in anything post world war 2.

Truth be told, Kathryn would have much rather lost herself in a nice pile of cocaine, but Blaine, ever the prima-donna bitch, refused to do a drop off in the storm, even when she offered to pay him double. Option number two for some recreational stress relief was Tony, the estate handyman and her regular fuck when she was looking for some amusement in the country. Sadly, she couldn't risk visiting his quarters as her mother was aware of their liaison and it was likely the first place she would look.

Yes, this was how pathetic her life had become, she had resorted to _hiding_ from her mother. God help her, the bitch was trying to _bond_ with her, which was in a way, somehow worse than her usual contemptuous nagging and put downs. At least she knew how to deal with that.

Tiffany was just _so pleased_ with how she dealt with that blonde little interloper. Seducing the headmaster's prim daughter then exposing her hypocritical slut self to her arrogant father was a stroke of genius. There was no way he'd allow his precious daughter to remain at Manchester after that. She simply had to tell her how she pulled it off.

Kathryn thought she was going to be sick.

Something ugly and raw twisted in her stomach every time she pictured the look of shocked betrayal on Annette's face when her father opened the door and found them. Hearing her mother rhapsodize about her betrayal was the cherry on the shit Sunday that was that day.

She never was any good with guilt.

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder sounded, shaking the house. Kathryn winced and sunk further into the couch. She always hated storms, ironic given her love of chaos and destruction.

There was another burst of noise that made her jump, only this time it came from behind her. Kathryn turned to see Sebastian enter from the entrance on the far side of the library, with two girls, one under each arm. Forever living up to the cliché, they were both servants. Rolling her eyes, Kathryn sunk deeper into the sofa in order to not be seen.

"Well ladies, I think this is as good a place as any to expand your sexual horizons," he proclaimed grandly. Kathryn made a face. _Christ, if I have to listen to them fuck…_

"But master Valmont," one of the girls cooed in some sort of European accent, "What if your aunt comes looking for us?"

"Baby, it's way past aunties bedtime, your safe…but you won't be for long."

There was a sound of flesh being slapped followed quickly but a surprised yelp and giggling. Kathryn mimed gagging.

"First up, I think it's time we work on your oral. Now, in these matters I've found it works best to work as a team…"

There was more giggling, followed by rustling clothes. She was fairly certain she heard the distinct sound of a zipper. Moments later the room filled with slurping and sucking. "Very nice," Sebastian remarked. He sounded like he could be talking about the weather or his latest suit from Savile row, bored and assured.

Well she couldn't allow this to carry on much longer. Five more minutes of listening to this and she really would gag.

Foregoing subtlety, Kathryn popped up from her spot on the couch. "Fucking the help again brother dear? How original."

There was a modicum of satisfaction to be found in the way her stepbrother's eyes briefly widened in surprise before relaxing into their normal indifferent state while his mouth twisted in a wry grin. "Eavesdropping sis? What's the matter, did Tony kick you out of his bed again?" When she didn't bother to dignify his question with a reply he snapped, "Get out Kathryn."

"I don't think so," she purred. "I was here first."

He stared her down like he was actually considering challenging her before rolling his eyes. Flicking his hand dismissively he ordered the two morons kneeling before him, "Go up to my room, we'll finish this there."

They of course didn't put up a fight as they quietly got to their feet and then quickly scuttled past her, avoiding eye contact as they left. Sebastian pulled up his pants, wincing as he tucked his half hard cock away. It would never not annoy her that she was still so attracted to him, even in moments like this.

Kathryn pretended to go back to her book while Sebastian made for the wet bar in the corner. "I wasn't aware you knew where the library was, sis."

"I read," she replied trying to sound bored but landing on defensive.

"Vogue and page six don't count," he told her with a cheeky grin. "So, ruin anyone's life lately?" Kathryn stilled at the question. _Shit_. She was counting on him still being in the dark about that. "We've done some pretty fucked up shit in our time," he mused, dropping ice cubes into his glass, "But outing her to her father? Anyone check you for a heartbeat recently?"

Kathryn resented the fact that he of all people was judging her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of an argument. Instead, she returned to her book and asked primly, "Who told you?"

"The second floor maid. She overheard them arguing."

"Must be the same blabbermouth who ran to mother." She made a mental note to look into getting her fired.

"Was she pissed?"

"On the contrary, she thought it was a stroke of Machiavelli ingenuity." She looked up to find him giving her a quizzical stare. "She thinks I seduced Annette on purpose to get her out of the race. Now she wants to bond over it."

Sebastian smirked into his whiskey. "So that's why you're hiding out. I take it this was that thing you were alluding to in the garden. The bad decision you couldn't stop yourself from making."

Jesus, why the fuck had she said anything to him in the first place? "It had to be done," she told him in a tone she hoped would end the conversation.

Standing at the end of the sofa he studied her. Without even looking up she could feel his sharp gaze on her, scrutinizing, looking for holes in her armor. _Good luck asshole_.

"I wonder, what wouldn't you do to win?"

Slowly she looked up from her book and met his stare. "Nothing," she replied, her voice brokering no argument.

Sebastian shook his head. "You probably ruined her life, you realize, that don't you?"

"Stop being dramatic," she sighed. "She'll be fine."

"Will she? Her father will likely ship her back to Kansas. Without Manchester, she can kiss Yale goodbye. I mean her future is basically fucked. She'll probably be stuck in that shitty town for the rest of her life. I don't even like the bitch and _**I**_ feel sorry for her. You, on the other hand, purport to love her and you don't even seem to care. What kind of heartless bitch—"

"Shut up Sebastian!" she suddenly exploded, her voice high pitched and frantic even to her own ears. "Just shut up."

Her stepbrother's brow rose at her outburst. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were feeling guilty."

Kathryn attempted to ignore him by picking her book back up, but Sebastian was like a shark who smelled blood. He circled around to the back of the couch and leaned over her. His eyes flickered with boyish, eager malice as he taunted, "Oh god, you _do_ feel guilty, don't you? You're not hiding from your mother, you're hiding from yourself." Sebastian let out a trickling peel of laughter. "Kathryn Merteuil feels guilty about something. Hell must be freezing over."

Never one to be laughed at, she glared mutinously up at him and as regal as a queen sneered, "Piss. Off."

Sebastian gave a little bow. "Gladly."

She watched with mild satisfaction as he headed to the door when suddenly there was another loud clap of thunder followed by several quick flashes of lightening. Then everything went dark.

Kathryn jerked up right. Panic took hold of her throat as she tried to see in the dark. "Sebastian?" she croaked out jumping to her feet. Silence. "Sebastian!?"

"What?" he grumbled from the other side of the room. A moment later she heard a lighter. Kathryn looked up to see Sebastian standing by the bar, lighting a couple of taper candles. _Get a hold of yourself, idiot_, she chastised. Honesty, she didn't know how much more of this clusterfuck of a weekend she could endure.

Wanting to save face, she smoothed her hair back and ordered dismissively, "Do something about this, will you?"

"Oh yeah, I'll get right on it," he quipped sarcastically before setting a candle down in front of her.

Taking hold of it, she watched him head for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? I have two very slutty, flexible women waiting for me. Ciao"

Trying to infuse as much steel into her voice as possible she called out, "Your bimbos can wait. I need you here."

"Why? Oh, I get it. You're afraid one of the help will use this opportunity to enact some much deserved revenge. Don't worry sis, I'm fairly certain Aunt Helen has most of the firearms locked up. Good night."

Actually, she hated storms. Always had, even as a kid, but she couldn't very well tell him that. "I…don't want to run into mother," she offered lamely. Sebastian turned around and gave her a skeptical look. Realizing she had to change tactics, Kathryn asked quietly, "Please Sebastian?"

He stared at her blankly a moment before tossing his head back and sighing. "Jesus Christ, _fine_, but only until the lights come back on." Sebastian stomped back over to her. Straightening up he gave her a suggestive once over. "What's in this for me?"

"Not _that_," she told him pointedly. "You can go ten minutes without getting your dick sucked."

"I could," he replied turning back around, "But why should I?"

Fearing he was going to leave her again she called, "Where are you going?"

"Relax, I'm just getting reinforcements."

Sebastian grabbed the bottle of whiskey and a few more candles before slumping down in the couch opposite her. Another loud roar of thunder sounded, causing her to retreat further into the couch.

"You really don't like storms, huh?" Kathryn shook her head and Sebastian muttered, "You're just full of surprises tonight. Alright, what are we going to do?"

"Do we have to _do_ something?"

"Yes, I'm giving up two prime pieces of pussy to sit with your scaredy-cat ass in the dark, you best believe you're going to keep me entertained."

Kathryn sighed. Perhaps she should just offer to blow him. It might keep him quiet.

Before she could offer this up Sebastian called out, "I know! How about a game? Truth or dare."

She rolled her eyes so hard she threatened to dislodge them. "What, are we eleven at a sleep over? Pass."

"Are you afraid?"

"Grow up Valmont. You think I'll agree just because you call me chicken?"

They both knew she would. Sebastian stared her down until she broke.

"Fine. Whatever."

He grinned, slapping his hands together in delight. In the candlelight he looked almost demonic. This didn't bode well. Truth or dare with anyone else was just a harmless kid's game. When played between them however, it became something else entirely.

It was dangerous.

"Alright sis, you're up first. Truth or dare?"

* * *

"You can pull out every suitcase in the house," Annette snarled, "It doesn't matter. _I'm not going anywhere_."

She stood in the corner of her small bedroom, arms defiantly crossed to her chest as she watched her father throw her large suitcase onto her bed. Glaring across the room he pointed at it and ordered his daughter, "Pack. Your flight leaves tomorrow at noon. Anything you can't bring with you I'll have it mailed to your grandmother."

He then walked out as if the conversation was over. Annette shook her head at his arrogance. If he thought, he could dismiss her so easily he had another thing coming.

The whole ride home from the party they hadn't said a word to each other. He had made a quick apology to Mrs. Rosemond before hustling her out the door. Her father hadn't made any sort of remark about Annette leaving town to her so she thought maybe there was hope he wouldn't lose his mind and ship her off. What was that they said about hope? Live in hope, die in despair. As soon as they arrived home, he began listing off her travel itinerary and refused to listen as Annette tried to plead her case. Well he was going to listen now because there was no fucking way, she was willingly stepping foot in Kansas again.

Storming after him she snarled, "Well you can call up the airline and cancel. I'm not leaving New York."

Her father let out a long sigh before turning around. Much like herself, Benjamin Hargrove excelled at staying cool during a confrontation. He didn't yell or raise his voice. Aside from the firm set of his jaw, it was difficult to tell he was even angry.

"You are going and that's the end of it. We had an arrangement Annette. You stay out of trouble, you keep your nose clean and you could attend Manchester. I think finding you attacking our hosts niece qualifies as you breaking that promise."

"Alright first of all, I have more than kept my promise as far as being Miss All American teen spirit. I'm every parent's wet dream."

"Watch your language," he scowled, as if _that_ was somehow the most offensive part of all this.

"Second," she continued ignoring him, "I didn't attack Kathryn. Far from it."

"That's not what it looked like from where I was standing," he told her stiffly. "She looked scared and embarrassed."

Annette regarded him like he was a complete moron. "Are you honestly telling me you bought her act? Newsflash daddy, Kathryn a bigger phony than I could ever hope to be. If you had any idea the things she's done…"

"Such as?"

Here it was. If ever there was a golden opportunity to expose Kathryn for the fraud she was this was it. All she had to do was tell her father about Kathryn's coke filled crucifix and he'd snatch it up before she could stop him. It would be perfect payback for what she did to her.

And yet for some reason, Annette couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger.

Kathryn had totally blindsided her with her betrayal. She always knew she was capable of a lot of nasty shit, but she never thought she would turn it on her so viciously. Funny, she was pretty sure Sebastian once said the same thing. Sure, she had been antagonizing Kathryn for weeks and maybe she was due some payback, but she crossed the line this time. Therefor Annette shouldn't feel a trace of guilt for returning the favor and yet…

"It doesn't matter," she told him, surprising even herself, "All that matters is Kathryn isn't who she pretends to me. She set me up."

Her father didn't appear particularly moved. "Whether Ms. Merteuil is lying or not, it is not my concern. Are you forgetting who her family is? If she were to make any of her accusation's public, it could destroy everything I've worked so hard for."

Annette rolled her eyes, wondering if he was seriously this obtuse. "You honestly think Kathryn's going to public accuse me of coming on to her? Please, it would hurt her reputation as much as it would mine. She would _never_."

"I can't take that chance," he replied primly. "You're going back to Kansas to finish out your senior year and that's the end of it."

Once again, he turned away, and once again Annette followed after him. Her father circled around the landing of the second floor Victorian on his way to the staircase. "Don't you think it's going to look a little suspicious if you send me away at the beginning of the school year? Everyone at that school loves me and this time next week they're going to elect me student body president. You can't send me away."

"I can and I will."

Watching as her father started down the stairs, Annette had a sudden realization. It stopped her in her tracks. "You don't care what it looks like do you? You've been waiting all this time for the opportunity to get rid of me and I just handed it to you on a silver platter." Her father stopped and turned around, his expression inscrutable as ever. "You never had any intentions of letting me stay in New York, did you?"

For the first time that evening, Annette saw a brief hint of a smile on her father's face. The son of a bitch. She had always known her father was a cold sort of man, but she had never really considered just how much he despised her. Despite all his Christian bullshit, he was just as morally corrupt as all those supposed sinners he looked down on.

Annette was about to tell him as much when suddenly there was a sharp series of knocks on their front door. They both turned towards the foyer. It was late, nearing midnight. Not to mention it was storming pretty badly out. She couldn't imagine who would come out in this weather at this time of night. "Now who the hell is that?" her father grumbled as he started down the stairs.

As she followed him down, Annette felt a small flicker of hope in her chest. For one brief, idiotic moment she thought it might be Kathryn coming to apologize. Not surprisingly it wasn't Kathryn.

It was Helen Rosemond.

Annette and her father openly gaped at the sight of the older elegant woman standing on their door step in the rain, with her driver standing beside her holding an umbrella over her head. After a beat of stunned silence, the headmaster shook it off and quickly greeted her. "Helen…what a surprise, come in, come in please."

He stepped aside to allow their benefactor to enter. Honestly, she just looked like someone's kindly grandmother standing there in her raincoat and galoshes, but they both knew otherwise. Helen Rosemond was one of the most powerful women in the country, to say nothing of her power within the halls of Manchester. She practically owned the school (technically she owed the building) and therefor their very livelihoods were in her hands. And there she stood dripping all over their entranceway.

_Maybe she's had a stroke_, Annette thought darkly.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt this late at night Benjamin," she spoke in her usual warm tone. "But it was important and I feared it couldn't wait." She glanced over at Annette then back at her father before revealing, "I heard what happened between Annette and Kathryn."

If Annette wasn't so surprised by this revelation, she might have taken the moment to enjoy the look cringing embarrassment that flashed over her father's usually stoic face. He shot Annette a brief reprimanding look before turning back to Helen. "I'm sorry to hear that Helen. On behalf of myself and Annette I would like to apologize for any embarrassment we may have caused you. Let me assure you it was never her intent to—"

Helen held up a hand. "There's no need for that. I think I understand the situation and I just wanted to assure you that Annette is still more than welcome at Manchester," she explained, offering a kind smile to Annette.

Annette smiled back all the while wondering what the older woman wasn't telling her. She was getting the distinct impression something else was going on here. "Thank you, Mrs. Rosemond, that's so kind of you."

"Yes, well, that's very gracious of you Helen, but unfortunately we've already made plans for Annette to finish out her senior year back in Kansas. I fear New York has been far too…stimulating for her. It's best for everyone if she heads home."

Annette glared at her father, quietly stewing in anger. _Far too stimulating?_ What, was she a toddler on a sugar rush? She was beyond humiliated that he would refer to her as such.

Helen, still smiling her grandmotherly smile told him, "I respect your decision of course, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that."

The headmaster's mouth fell open and he sputtered out a startled, "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry Benjamin, but I'm going to have to insist Annette stay in New York."

* * *

"There, I sent it." Sebastian tossed his cellphone aside with a disgusted sneer and huffed, "Happy now?"

It was a rhetorical question as obviously his stepsister was over the fucking moon, as evidenced by the laughing fit, she had succumbed to. Curled up on the couch opposite him she giggled manically rolling onto her back. Even in the dim candlelight, he could still make out the tears prickling her eyes. "What if she sends one back?" she asked through her laughter.

"Then I'll burn my phone and murder you," he told her dryly before finishing off his bourbon in one gulp. He scowled as she continued to laugh. "It's not _that_ funny."

Despite his sour mood, Sebastian had to admit he was having more fun than he anticipated. When he suggested truth or dare, he did it thinking it would be a fun way to blow of twenty minutes, figuring he could instigate Kathryn a little and in turn pay her back for that crap she pulled in the garden. Cut to an hour later, the power still wasn't back on and the only person being humiliated was him.

And yet despite the humiliation and possible social suicide, he was having more fun than he had in months. He had nearly forgotten how much fun Kathryn could be when she wasn't being a poisonous bitch.

"Alright, alright," he called out, growing irritated by her mocking. "Your turn. Truth or dare?"

Kathryn curbed her laughter leaning over to take a sip of her whiskey before turning her mischievous gaze on his. "Dare."

Sebastian grinned. He had been hoping she'd choose that option. "I dare you…to send an apology text to Annette."

She scowled, the humor vanishing from her face in an instant and sat up abruptly. "I'm not doing that."

This was curious. He was sure she'd jump at the excuse to apologize. "To bad, those are the rules." When she didn't budge, he reminded her, "I just sent a dick pic to Mrs. Caldwell. Get over yourself and do it Kathryn."

"Why do you have such a hard on for me to do this? Since when do you want us together?"

"Oh, I don't anticipate her forgiving you," he explained, "I just want to see you humiliate yourself. Trust me if it wasn't for this storm, I'd make you take a boombox and stand under her window playing _In Your Eyes_."

"If there wasn't a storm, I wouldn't be playing this stupid game with you in the first place," she grumbled.

Ignoring her he continued, "Given the circumstances, we're just going to have to go for a 21st century_ Say Anything_ approach. I will be dictating of course."

Kathryn rolled her eyes as she retrieved her phone from under the couch cushion. "Fine, fire away dick head."

Sebastian tilted his head back as he pretended to think. "_My dearest Annette…_ _I don't know what I could possibly say that would rectify the harm I've caused you. The truth of the matter is—"_

"Jesus Christ." She tossed her phone down and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Are you seriously going to make me crib from your own shitty apology note?"

"Yep," he replied, all shit eating grin. Sebastian gave a little wave of his hand. "Please continue." With cringing distaste Kathryn picked her phone back up and resumed typing. "Where were we? Oh yes… _The truth of the matter is that being with you was the only time I have ever been happy. My whole life has been a joke. I prided myself on taking joy in others' misery. Well, it finally backfired. I succeed in hurting the first person I ever loved._ Now after that I volunteered up my journal as sort of emotional collateral. Since you don't seem to possess anything of the kind…oh I know_! There is nothing I can do that would make you forgive me, but I'd like you to know that first thing Monday morning I'm going to resign from my student body—"_

"The hell I am! You can't make me do that."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Relax. It's not real, you're just going to tell her—"

"Lie to her"

"I would think you'd be used to it by now. Are you going to forfeit the dare?"

They both know she never would. It would mean admitting defeat and Kathryn would sooner die. They stared each other down for a long beat before Kathryn resumed typing. Smiling in satisfaction Sebastian finished off, "_I will resign from my student body position. I know it is not enough, nothing ever will be, but I hope one day you can forgive me. Love and kisses (especially the dirty ones) Kathryn_. Now let me see."

She handed over her phone and Sebastian checked it before hitting send. "She's sure to forgive me now," Kathryn quipped sarcastically.

"Baby, you'll be lucky if that bitch ever talks to you again. I'd forget about forgiveness."

Kathryn glared back icily over the rim of her glass. The mood in the room seemed to shift again, a thick tension filled it that seemed to smell certain doom. "Truth or dare Sebastian."

He shifted a little uncomfortably, realizing she now held the cards. Too afraid to go with dare he replied, "Truth."

She gave a rueful shake of her head. "Pussy. Okay…I want the truth."

"I'm clear on the rules of the game."

"Did we ever actually have sex?"

Sebastian flinched, genuinely caught off guard by the question. For a brief moment he considered keeping up the lie, but he realized he had no reason to. With an indifferent shrug he admitted, "No, we didn't."

Just as he anticipated, Kathryn went ahead and lost her shit.

* * *

This was easily shaping up to be one of the weirdest nights of her life.

Annette sat on the edge of their comfortable family sofa feeling anything but as she watched Helen warm herself in front of the fireplace. They were alone, her father having been primly dismissed by the older woman. The room was quiet except for the crackle of the fire and the sound of rain beating against the windows. Annette couldn't begin to guess where this was all leading, but it didn't matter so long as it meant she could stay in New York.

"First, I want to apologize for my nephew and my niece," Helen began, gaze still on the fire before looking back at her. She was still wearing that kindly smile of hers but there was something decidedly sharper about it. "I should have warned you about them from the beginning. Although, I suppose it likely wouldn't have done much good. I'm afraid they are used to getting what they want."

Annette was stunned by this revelation but tried to keep it from her face. Evidently she failed.

"Don't look so surprised. Do you think you and my niece invented female subterfuge? I've lived a lot longer than you, through times which were much more difficult for women and I've learned there's a certain power that comes when playing into certain archetypes—the innocent, the good girl—"

"The kindly aunt?" Annette finished for her. "I guess no one's what they seem, huh?"

"No, but you already knew that." She laughed lightly, but something dark flashed in her eyes.

Realizing now that Helen had never bought her act, she recognized her as a potential threat. After all, Annette was no one to her. She could ruin her life with one word if she chose to. With that in mind, she was careful to keep any kind of emotion out of her voice when she asked, "What can I do for you Mrs. Rosemond?"

Her expression changed in an instant, morphing back into the kind grandmotherly figure she pretended to be. "Oh, you misunderstand me dear. I don't want anything from you, on the contrary. I see a great deal of myself in you Annette."

She wasn't sure she bought that. "Oh?"

"Your intelligence, your ambition. I believe if you play the game correctly, you'll have a bright future ahead of you."

"And how would you suggest I do that?"

Helen didn't answer her question directly and instead remarked, "I should have known better than to allow Sebastian to stay with me this summer. Knowing my nephew's appetites as I do, I should have recognized the danger."

"Your nephew wasn't the problem," she remarked dryly.

"Wasn't he? You seemed more than content when you were fucking my niece all summer." Annette flinched at her crude language making Helen laugh. "You two weren't exactly discreet. Poor Henry, nearly had a heart attack when he walked in on you two with the Caldwell girl."

Annette briefly flashed back to the older butler stumbling in on them and Kathryn rolling over in laughter. "Your niece has a problem locking doors," she sighed.

"Yes, which brings us back to the events of this afternoon. If she hurt you in anyway, I want to make it right. And, if at all possible, I'd like to keep this quiet for everyone's sake."

So that's what this was all about. Keeping her quiet. Were she in the mood Annette would have cackled at what a cliché this all was. Protecting the family's ass from the girl on the wrong side of the tracks. She bet if she demanded Helen cut her a check to buy her silence, she'd do it. If Annette was another kind of girl she'd probably be insulted. Instead, she wondered how she could make this work for her.

Realizing she now held some powerful cards of her own, Annette got up from the couch and joined Helen at the fireplace. "I knew exactly who Kathryn was when I got involved with her. Nothing she's done or could do would ever really surprise me. That said, I'm a far way off from forgiving and forgetting. She went too far. If your intention this evening was to assure my silence and keep me from destroying her, I'm curious…what's in it for me?"

"I understand you intend on attending Yale next year. I think it's an excellent idea. I'm setting up a scholarship for a worthy student at Manchester, someone who exemplifies all the best that Manchester has to offer. Frankly, I can think of no worthier candidate than yourself."

"How generous, but my father's pulling me from Manchester, remember?"

She let out a peel of humorless laughter. "He'll do no such thing if he hopes to keep his job and reputation. I'll be announcing it at tomorrow night's gala. Try to act surprised."

Annette smiled wryly. "My father won't like this."

Helen patted her arm and smiled warmly. "Oh dear, _as if he as a choice in the matter_."

Turning away, she went and took a seat in the leather armchair while Annette tried to wrap her head around what just happened. Would this bitch seriously pay for her to go to Yale just to keep her mouth shut? Could it really be that easy?

"Of course, by accepting my generous donation to your education, you must agree you won't seek retribution against my niece."

There's always fucking something.

* * *

"You piece of shit!"

"Ow!" Sebastian ducked as a first edition _Anna Karenina_ came hurtling at him. "Knock it off!"

"Fucker! I should have known. I've never been black out drunk in my life!" Kathryn, who was now kneeling on the couch, gathering up ammunition, paused as if something suddenly occurred to her. "Oh my god. You drugged me, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "I may have slipped you a little something."

Kathryn began chucking pillows at him. "You fucking asshole! That's assault!"

"Please. I never touched you."

"You destroyed my relationship with Annette for _nothing_!"

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," he quipped, dogging her attacks, "You were more than helpful on that front." One of the pillows nearly knocked a candle down. "Will you stop it psycho! You're going to start a fire."

Ignoring him she continued throwing things until she must have caught the wrong edge of something sharp because she dropped the picture frame she was holding and clutched her hand. "God dammit," she grumbled in pain.

"Serves you right you…" Sebastian curbed his crowing when he realized she was clutching her bandaged hand. Without thinking he got up from his seat and went over to her. Sebastian tried to examine her hand. "Are you okay?"

"It's fine," she told him sharply, yanking her hand away.

"Let me see?" he asked, softening his tone as he reached for her.

Even in the dim light he could see the bandaged opened and her cut which look mostly healed was exposed. He could tell it had been nasty. Gently he fixed her bandage. "It doesn't look like it opened again so that's good."

"It's fine Sebastian," Kathryn repeated, this time with considerably less bite. She took her hand back, avoiding his gaze. He studied her silently, trying to suss out in his head this quiet, possibly broken version of Kathryn and how it correlated with the bitch goddess he knew her to be. "Truth or dare Kathryn?"

"Truth," she sighed, tired.

"How did you really hurt your hand?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment, as if she were trying to decide whether to be honest or not. Finally, she revealed with a carless shrug, "I punched a mirror."

There were of course, many follow up questions he'd like to voice. Knowing they won't get answered however he just remarked, "You really are harder on yourself than you let on."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I'm fine Sebastian."

"Yeah, okay, you're fine." Except for the drugs, bulimia, and rampant bursts of anger.

Avoiding his inquisitive gaze, Kathryn grabbed her glass of whiskey and took a sip. "Alright, you're up. Truth or dare?"

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a loud knock on the library door followed by his stepmother's impatient drawl, "Sebastian are you in there?"

He rolled his eyes as he went for his own drink. Kathryn's expression froze in fear. There was no need to panic, he had locked the door. Sebastian had no intentions of answering her, but she quickly followed it up with, "I know you're in there. Answer me or I'll have Phylicia get the key."

Groaning he barked out, "What do you want?"

"Well in case it's escaped your attention, we're in the middle of a blackout—"

"I hadn't noticed."

"Have you seen your sister?"

Kathryn shook her head, her eyes verging on pleading. He purposely waited a beat before replying. "Can't say I have."

"Who are you in there with?"

"No one you know," she shot back irritated. "Alright, bye bye now."

They both sat quietly listening to see if the high and mighty Tiffany Rochester Merteuil would be dismissed so easily. Luckily, something else must have caught her attention. They were met with only silence.

Kathryn let out a long, held in breath. "Jesus Christ."

"I believe the words you are looking for are _thank you_."

"Get real, after what you pulled on me—"

"Oh, Tiff—"

She slammed her hand over his mouth, silencing him. "_Thank you_," she hissed, irritated, as if it were physically painful to say. "Back to your stupid game. Truth or—"

"Ah no," he spoke up cutting her off. "I just saved your ass. I think that entitles me to a free turn." Kathryn rolled her eyes but silently acquiesced. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare"

"I dare you to get me off."

Kathryn cocked an unimpressed brow and snorted. "I was wondering how long it would take you to get around to that. I must say you've shown remarkable restraint until now."

"Thank you"

Rolling her eyes, she got up from her spot on the couch and straddled him. Sebastian tried to underplay his surprise. Truth be told he never expected her to acquiesce so easily. Kathryn was never easy. "Okay, what do you want?"

He shrugged, his hands finding their way to her waist as she seated herself on top of him. "Dealers choice. Hand job, tit job, lap dance—oh!" Sebastian gasped, as her nimble fingers deftly undid his fly and she wrapped her fist around his cock.

"Don't be a child Valmont," she chided as she jerked him off, getting him hard. _"What do you want?"_

Sebastian met her challenging stare. "I want to fuck your throat raw."

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. "Good boy."

Kathryn slid off his lap and onto the floor, kneeling in front of him. She unfastened his pants the rest of the way and pulled out his now hard cock and bloated balls. There was a full dollop of pre-cum on the head and he waited to see if she'd lick it off. She took him in her fist and teasingly dragged the head over her full lips, like she was applying lipstick, smearing them with cum before licking them clean. Sebastian's hips jumped at the imagery. She laughed, full and dirty. "Down boy. We don't want this over with before we've begun."

"Get on with it," he growled. "Before I hold you down and make you choke on it."

"All in good time, brother dear"

His cock twitched in her palm and he couldn't be sure if it was on account of her teasing or the reminder of their familial connection. _Why was that always so hot? Best not to dwell._

Luckily, he didn't have a chance to give it anymore thought as he was soon distracted by his stepsister's mouth on his dick. Kathryn suckled the head, before working her tongue down the veiny length. Up and down she teased, leaving him on edge before abruptly shoving all of him down her throat. Sebastian gasped in surprise. "Oh _fuck_!"

Kathryn swallowed him down to the root, her throat offering no resistance. _Did she have any kind of gag reflex? _He was dearly hoping to find out. Content to let her control things for now, Sebastian leaned back and let her do all the work. Not surprisingly, Kathryn was something of an artist when it came to blow jobs. She knew when to speed up, when to slow it down. She'd get him all worked up, on the brink of coming then pull back, with a teasing grin. Occasionally she suckled his balls, bathing them in saliva. She even briefly rimmed his ass. It was amazing, hands down the best blow job of his illustrious career. And yet…

Kathryn of course knew what he wanted, she was no amateur. With his cock buried down her throat, she slipped her hands under his ass, urging him forward, giving him permission to fuck her face. Sebastian didn't need to be told twice. Threading his fingers in her silky locks, he held her still as he slowly lifted his hips feeding her his length. He took a few tentative, experimental thrusts, not wanting to go too hard, too fast. Of course, Kathryn would have none of that. Her eyes narrowed at him as she silently demanded, _fucking do it already pussy_.

Sebastian was more than up for the challenge. Tightening his grip on her hair, he abruptly jerked her forward and thrust his hips violently up. For the first time that night, Kathryn gagged briefly before he pulled back. "Huh, I guess you do have a gag reflex after all," he mused.

She glared at him through watery eyes but didn't protest when he resumed fucking her face. Sebastian would have liked to have made it last for hours, unfortunately even his legendary will power was no match for his sister's mouth or his intense desire for her. Withing seconds he was coming down her throat, his shaking hand fisted in her hair as he bathed her throat in his cum. Panting, he collapsed back on the sofa in exhaustion. "Jesus Christ," he exclaimed, feeling as if he just ran a marathon. _From a fucking blow job._

Pulling away, Kathryn reached for her glass of scotch and took a hearty swig before flopping down beside him on the couch. Her mouth was red and raw and her hair a mess, but otherwise she looked no worse for wear. Actually, she looked pretty smug. "Enjoy that, did you?"

There was no sense denying it. "You could teach a class."

"I wonder if Manchester would consider that an extracurricular?" she asked dryly. "Okay, you're up. Truth or dare?"

He kind of wanted to say dare on the off chance she might request he return the favor, but honestly after that he needed a minute, so he went with the less taxing option. "Truth."

"Best sexual experience?"

He blinked. "This one is pretty up there." It was true. He'd be jerking off to memories from this night for years to come.

"Excluding what just happened on this couch, who was the best? And you can't say Annette."

"What if she was?"

Kathryn glared at him and he laughed.

"Sophie Loumer." It was the first name that popped into his head. The truth was, before Annette most of his sexual experiences tended to run together, hence the journal. It wasn't that they weren't enjoyable in their own way, but few and far between actually felt unique or even memorable.

Kathryn rested her head on the back of the couch, her expression unimpressed. "That model with the bony ass? Pray tell, what was so memorable about her?"

Mimicking her pose, Sebastian pretended to consider it. "Mmm…she was very flexible, uninhibited, daddy issues for days…"

Her pretty little face turned up. "Gross."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth"

"Biggest sexual fantasy"

Her mouth paused right above her drink and her eyes looked up to meet his. Her smirk deepened and her eyes flashed with naughty delight. "You couldn't handle it," she taunted.

"Try me."

He was practically leaning over her at this point and he could hear his own heart pounding in his ears. Kathryn waited a beat, clearly relishing drawing this out. She leaned forward as if to kiss him only to bypass his mouth in favor of his ear. Sebastian breathed her in and got hard again. "You and Annette. Inside me. At the same time."

She pulled back from him, a knowing smirk on her mouth. Sebastian blinked at her and his mind went blank. _Was she fucking with him?_ Then he remembered. That story she told him the night before, when he had his fingers inside her, about watching that threesome at the party. He had vaguely wondered at the time if she was hinting at something happening between the three of them, but he had been far too preoccupied with what he was doing to give it more than a passing thought. Now though, he realized it was real.

Suddenly he was bombarded with an array of pornographic images flying through his mind like one of those view masters. Sebastian fucking Kathryn from behind while Annette went down on her, Annette drilling her with her favorite toy while he ate her out, Sebastian fucking her cunt while Annette—

"Did I shock you?" she asked with a small shit eating grin.

He cleared his throat and took a big swig of scotch. "You're right, I couldn't handle it."

She laughed, her eyes dancing. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Well I'd ask you your sexual fantasy, but you were pretty detailed in your journal."

He paused, once again caught off guard. Sebastian had forgotten about that. Refusing to show embarrassment he shrugged it off and quipped, "What can I say, I have a vivid imagination. It's a shame we don't have some handcuffs available."

"Yes, it is."

Sebastian's head shot up in surprise. Kathryn was wearing that inscrutable grin of hers. He couldn't tell if she was fucking with him or not. This was what they did after all, flirt and mock and taunt. Business as usual. But after what just happened, they were definitely wadding into uncharted territory. It all felt like it was building to something.

"Have you ever jerked off to me before?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "I think you know that answer to that question."

"Yes, but I want to hear to _say_ it."

Meeting her laughing eyes he sighed. "Yes, Kathryn, I've jerked off to you before. Was that the little ego rub you were looking for?"

She giggled. "Do you do it a lot?"

"You get one question bitch."

Playfully jostling him she urged, "Come on. I want the details."

"Too bad. I've humiliated myself enough for one evening."

"Fine," she pouted, curling up against him.

Sebastian shifted his head until his eyes met hers. They inched towards each other, until their mouths hovered just out of reach. Sebastian's gaze lingered on her lips, plump and pink and recalled how they tasted the night before. "Truth or dare," he mumbled. He wasn't sure why he was still keeping up the pretense of the game. Clearly this ceased being about the game a long time ago.

"Let's keep on theme…truth."

"Did you ever love me?" The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he was saying them. Suddenly he felt intensely vulnerable. They both were all too aware that sometimes the things you give someone can be used against you.

Kathryn's eyes widened briefly, and she pulled back, obviously surprised at the blunt question. "What?"

Suddenly the only thing he wanted in the world was an answer to his question. Swallowing his fear Sebastian pressed on, "Was it all bullshit? What we had…I mean did you care about me at all? Or was it really just a game?"

"That's more than one question."

"You know what I'm asking. I think after everything that's gone down between us, I deserve an answer."

He expected her to laugh, pull away, storm out. Instead she sat there, very still, not looking at him. Sebastian was about to give up all hope of getting anything resembling honesty from her when she spoke up in a voice barely above a whisper. "Yes."

"Yes, what? Yes, it was a lie, yes, you really—"

"Don't make me say it."

Kathryn finally looked up at him and just then he knew the answer the same as he knew his own name. Sebastian inhaled sharply and took it in. _Holy shit, the blonde menace was right_.

There were a host of follow up questions he had for her but before he could get anything out, Kathryn leaned in and kissed him. Wet, open mouthed kisses that he eagerly returned. It didn't take long for things to grow heated, her hand reaching up to grasp the collar of his shirt, Sebastian tugged her onto his lap. They made out fiercely before Sebastian remembered himself. Pulling back, he panted, "Wait, hold up, I have another question."

"Too bad, you only get one, remember?"

"Just some clarification, please"

"Nope"

He groaned. "I hate this fucking game."

"You wanted to play," she laughed before tugging him back into a kiss. Sliding her fingers through his hair, she tugged and nipped at his lip and kissed him deeply. Just like that Sebastian forgot all about his questions.

Rolling them onto the couch, he nestled himself between her legs and kissed down her neck, licking a trail down her collarbone. Sebastian, still is disbelief that this was happening, yanked impatiently on his stepsister's robe. When the damn thing wouldn't give, he, he gave up and settled for suckling her hard little nipple through her nightie. Kathryn gasped, withering beneath him. God, what he'd give to make her scream. Teeth on her tit, Sebastian gazed up at her, looking for any signs of hesitancy, before sliding a hand up her thigh. He fingers teased her though her panties before slipping inside. Wasting no time, he slid one digit in, followed by a second. She was so wet already and he'd barely begun to do anything to her.

Kathryn bucked against him, whimpering needily. Sebastian wished he could record that sound, make it is fucking ring tone. Kathryn unleashed. He'd barely begun to touch her when he felt her clench around his fingers and jerk in climax. He looked up at her from between her breasts. She was panting, staring up at the ceiling. When her gaze shifted back on him and she caught his amused and questioning look she rolled her eyes. "Try not to read too much into it," she told his dryly. "I orgasm easily."

He honestly didn't have that much experience with her to tell if she's lying or not. Sebastian shifted upwards and began kissing her again, groaning when he felt her hand reach between them for his dick. Trying not to lose it as quickly as she had, he tried to think of something else—the Brooklyn Bridge, his aunt Helen, tax laws—

"Fuck me," Kathryn gasped against his ear, before tugging it with her teeth.

Sebastian pulled up suddenly. He eyed her, not sure if she meant it or not. Leaning in he kissed her briefly. "Is that a truth or a dare?"

"What do you think?" she murmured against him.

"We're going to need a bigger boat."

"Excuse me?"

Sliding a hand under her head and another under her waist he rolled them off the couch. Kathryn let out a shriek of surprise, handing on top of him with a thud. Sebastian winced in pain, momentarily regretting his swift decision, until that is Kathryn straddled him.

Tossing her hair out of her face she groused, "What the hell?"

"I like a large work station," he remarked, shucking off her silk robe. Kathryn removed her nightgown with little artifice, leaving her naked except for her panties. In the dim light of the candlelight her skin seemed to glow. Sebastian considered her a moment, tongue in his cheek, realizing this might _actually happen_ he tried to remember to breathe.

Kathryn apparently had no such problem. She immediately got down to work unfastening his pants, eager hands reaching in to palm his cock. Sebastian groaned, head thrown back when she wrapped her fist around him and jerked him off. He suspected she was trying to level the playing field a little by getting him to pop off early just as she had. Sebastian had no intention of giving in so easily.

Once again, he took charge, grasping her by the waist he rolled her over onto her back. Kathryn let out a small shriek of surprise. Sebastian reached for her panties, tugging them down her smooth legs, still not believing this was really happening. He kept expecting her to get up and laugh in his face, call him a silly little rabbit or whatever. "You better not be fucking with me," he warned.

At his threat her pout morphed into a coy little smirk. "Oh? And what if I am?"

He grinned wolfishly down at her and remarked, "Then I won't give you what you want." Sebastian jerked her forward by the hips, tilting her pelvis and bending her knees back. A soft gasp escaped her lips at the sudden maneuver

"As if you know what that is."

Fingering her wet cunt, spread and beckoning he murmured, "Oh I think I have a pretty good idea."

Before their banter could continue, he took his cock in hand (which had been swearing like a sailor for the past ten minutes demanding he fuck her already) and pushed inside her beckoning heat at last. Kathryn made a sort of breathless noise like he had punched her in the gut. Sebastian didn't even want to think about what he sounded like. He had gone in nearly balls deep, she was pulsating around him, wet and tight and so so hot. Sebastian knew he had gone slack jawed, his face flushed. It took him a moment to regain his concentration, to put himself back on track, to _not cum_. He chanced a look at her. Kathryn's eyes were unfocused, her lips parted as she lightly panted. When their eyes met, they seemed to share a look of recognition that this was actually happenings.

It would be stupid to say she felt any different than any other girl. After all, as crude as it sounded, pussy was pussy. But she _was_ different. It was Kathryn. Funny, it hadn't occurred to him until he was balls deep inside her just how badly he wanted this. How he was willing to blow up his whole stupid plan just to have her like this. He should have known.

Kathryn reached for him, almost tenderly and pulled him into a brief kiss. "Fuck me already," she murmured against his mouth. Sebastian nipped at her lips once, then gave her what she asked for.

In the end, it was a fast fuck. They were booth too eager, too hyped up to expect it to be anything else. Sebastian remained bent over her, hands gripping her hips while his face was buried in her neck as he pounded into her frantically. Kathryn was coiled around him like a snake, legs wrapped around his upper back, heels kneeing into his back while she rode him from below. Spurred on by the little gasps in his ear, he fucked her harder. He could hear the sounds of their bodies joining and normally that sort of thing might have put him off but, he found he like it—it just made the whole thing more real.

Catching the flicker of candlelight out of the corner of his eye Sebastian absently thought the whole scene was kind of romantic or at least it would be if they weren't rutting like animals in heat.

Kathryn came first with a high pitched moan he was surprised didn't bring her mother running. She jerked violently underneath him, hard enough he had to use a little bit of his weight to pin her down as she clenched around his thrusting length. Sebastian didn't even have time to enjoy it before he was coming as well, making what he assumed were undignified sounds in her ear as his body erupted. He knew it was wrong to come inside of her (and borderline stupid to fuck without a condom) but he loved it all the same. He suspected it was not a privilege she handed over lightly.

They lay there for a while, panting quietly into the dark, his face still buried in her neck, his cock still buried in her cunt. Kathryn's legs sagged to the side. Her arms remained tentatively around him—as if she was giving him permission to leave but she wasn't sure she wanted him too. Sebastian cursed himself for not making this last longer. The fuck he had been lusting after since puberty, and the whole thing lasted only a couple of minutes.

Before he could beat himself up too badly the electricity suddenly flickered on. Pulling back, he sat on his hunches, staring around the library which looked so different in the bright light. He was almost afraid to look at Kathryn, sure he wound find indifference or worse yet disappointment. Eventually however he had no choice. He looked down to find her watching him with a thoughtful expression. She was as beautiful as he ever remembered seeing her—naked, spread out before him, skin flushed with a light gleam of sweat. She stretched her arms over her head and her face took on a more calculating, familiar predatory look. Sebastian held his breath.

"So, you've waited all this time to fuck me and this is all I get?" Pulling herself up on her elbows her she sat up and flashed him a filthy grin. "You can do better than that."

* * *

"You can't be serious," Annette exclaimed. "That bitch threw a grenade into my life. You expect me to just let it go?"

"Yes. Now I agree, Kathryn acting a tad…impulsively, but what did you expect to happen when you provoked her?" Annette opened her mouth to argue only for Helen to hold up a hand. "I'm not interested in the details of your girl's squabbles, but for both your sakes I'm suggesting your let it go. Do we have a deal?"

She wanted to argue further but saw no point. If going to Yale meant giving up her vendetta against Kathryn, she'd have to suck it up and do it. At least temporarily. "Alright, very well, we have a deal." Stepping forward she shook the older woman's hand.

"It's late, I should be heading back." Annette watched as Helen headed for the door only to pause on the threshold. "You might not see it now, but you've been very good for my niece. Prior to your arrival I had been concerned there was too much of her mother in her. But these past months I've seen a change in her."

"Funny, she seems like the same backstabbing bitch to me," Annette quipped, arms to her chest.

A knowing look flickered in her expression as she slipped her jacket back on. "Fear and ambition are powerful motivators. I would think you of all people would understand that. Have a good night Annette."

Before she could leave, she called out to her, "Wait. Do Sebastian and Kathryn know—"

"Of course not." With a wicked little grin she added, "Where's the fun in that?"

Annette's eyebrows shot up in response and she watched in awe as Mrs. Rosemond made her exit as regally as she entered. For a solid minute she just stood there wondering if that seriously just happened. Annette felt exhausted, and exhilarated and also like she may have just made a deal with the devil. It didn't matter. She got to stay in New York, she'd get to go to Yale whether she won the stupid election or not. Everything was on track.

All she had to do was not kill Kathryn.

Letting out a long sigh she dragged herself up the stairs, intent on a nice long bath. She had every intention of forgoing her morning jog and sleeping in tomorrow. This felt like the longest, weirdest day ever.

Before she could reach the landing, her father came down the stairs, eyes wide and suspicious. "Is she still here?" he whispered.

"Oh, there you are. I half expected to find you listening at the door. No, Helen left, but she sends her best."

Annette started to pass him on the stairs, only for her father to reach out and grasp her arm. "Well, what did she want?" he demanded.

She tugged her arm away sharply. "It's none of your concern," she informed him icily. "The only thing you need to know is that I'm staying in New York _and_ graduating from Manchester. Good night daddy."

She figured she'd save her Yale bombshell for the gala.

Heading into her bedroom, she shut the door and began to strip out of her sundress and heels. Absently she picked up her phone and noticed she had a few new texts. One from Shiv. One from Trevor. One from Kathryn. It was of course the last one that concerned her. Annette hesitated briefly before reading it. With good reason.

"Jesus fucking Christ," she grumbled as she read it again.

Was this supposed to be a joke? A cruel prank? Or was she just wasted? Plagiarizing that asshole's bullshit apology letter was a step too far. And what was she to make of that claim that she was going to drop out of the election? Annette didn't buy it for a second.

The more she thought about it, the more furious she became. Annette paced her room, her mind running through various revenge scenarios until she remembered herself. As much as she'd love to pay Kathryn back her hands were tied and her future was now on the line. However, she promised the old woman she wouldn't seek revenge, but she said nothing about antagonizing Kathryn…

Smirking to herself as an idea began to take form, Annette reached for her phone. She wasn't sure why she had this asshole's number in her phone, but at that moment she wasn't about to question it. He answered on the second ring.

"Annette Hargrove? To what do I owe the pleasure, especially at this time of night?"

She rolled her eyes cringing at his douche voice. "Hey Court, I'm sorry for calling so late, but I was just wondering…would you still like to be my date for the gala?"

* * *

Like any other perfectionist, Kathryn didn't believe in doing things halfway. If she was going to damn herself, she might as well do it thoroughly. When she finally decided to go to bed with Sebastian, she wasn't going to settle for just a five minute fuck on the floor. She was determined to wring as many orgasms as possible out of the situation.

Luckily her darling stepbrother was more than up to the task.

"Oh fuck…jesus Christ harder goddammit…"

Her demand was met with a sharp slap on her ass. "You might want to keep it down," Sebastian panted not breaking stride as he fucked her against the desk. "Unless you want mommy to figure out who I'm in here with…"

"Fuck mommy."

Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Sebastian jerked her back and husked in her ear, "I love it when you talk dirty."

"Pervert"

"Coming from you I take that as a compliment…_sis_."

Their banter came to a brief halt, when Sebastian slipped a hand underneath her, teasing her clit, effectively distracting her. In the short time they had been together, he was growing more and more assured on just the right way to touch her to get her off. Kathryn couldn't be sure if that was a good thing or not, although at the moment it felt like a _very_ good thing indeed.

She always assumed sex with Sebastian would inevitably turn into a game of one-upmanship just like everything else they engaged in, and in a way it had. Who could make the other come first, harder, best. However, unlike all of her previous male lovers, Sebastian never left her wanting. If anything, she felt overwhelmed. With all the other she was always chasing what they would give her, with Sebastian she felt like she was the one being chased. It was kind of exhilarating.

It took less than a minute for her orgasm to come ricocheting through her body, making her body spasm and clench his invading cock. The pleasure was ripping her apart. She knew she was being too loud, but she was long past caring at that point. Kathryn had barely gotten her bearings when Sebastian gasped, "Oh god…cumming…"

"Not inside me," she had enough sense to warn. She still couldn't believe she let him do it the first time.

Without a word, Sebastian abruptly pulled out of her then turned her over. In a flash he was straddling her chest, his jaw clenched tight, his neck muscles straining as he beat his cock against her tits before finally coming in thick white stripes across her chest, neck and face. Kathryn knew she should be disgusted, but really, the whole thing just kind of turned her on. Not that she'd tell him that.

"You're a fucking animal"

Sebastian wasn't the least bit ashamed. "You love it."

Kathryn scooped up a dollop of cum off her cheek and licked it. "Maybe."

Smiling, he climbed off the stone table they had been screwing on, then offered her his hand. Kathryn nearly laughed at the chivalrous gesture which seemed absurd given what she just let him do to her, but she took his hand anyway, allowing him to help her up. Her limbs felt like jello. Everything was sore, but of course she didn't let on as they awkwardly shuffled around each other. Sebastian was watching her in that way that he's pretending that he's not. His hands found their way to her waist and she expected him to pull her in for a kiss, instead he asked, "Drink?"

"Yeah"

He made his way to the bar (apparently no worse for wear) while Kathryn collapsed on the sofa, exhaustion threatening to take hold. She stared at the coffee table in front of her, now broken in two thanks to their vigorous attempts to fuck on it. _Oh god, that was going to be hard to explain_. Come to think of it, this whole night was going to be hard to explain.

Ever since they started this, she hadn't had a moment to consider what she was doing and honestly, she was afraid to be left alone with her thoughts, afraid she would start to doubt herself. Had this been a colossal misstep? _Probably_. The question was, did she care?

The couch dipped as Sebastian sunk down beside her, placing a glass of scotch in her hand. "Having regrets already?"

Kathryn looked up at him, trying to keep the surprise from her face. Could he read her so easily or was he just teasing her? She was careful to school her expression into a look of cool indifference as she scooped up her satin robe from the ground and slipped it back on, not bothering to tie it. "Actually, I was thinking about the last time we were in this room."

Sebastian paused mid sip to look around the library. "Hmm…when we found my uncle getting blown by that actress?"

"No, I was remembering that New Year's when you were too much of a pussy to kiss me…"

His face flashed with recognition and he smiled wryly into his drink. "As if you would have let me. You were panting over that viscount if memory serves."

"I would have," she purred remembering back to it. She had fucked that viscount and after their mediocre lay she had come looking for her stepbrother, dragging him into the library with a bottle of champagne right before midnight. He had laughed at her shortcomings with the viscount before abandoning her to go chase after some underwear model. _Fucker_. "Why do you think I pulled you in here in the first place?"

His smile died and he seemed genuinely takeback. Kathryn laughed. "Just think if you had sacked up in the first place, you could have gotten what you wanted that much sooner."

"Not to mention beat Hargrove to the punch."

She frowned at the mention of the headmaster's daughter. Ever since that first kiss that evening (who started it? Was it her? No, it had to be him) she had been doing an admirable job of keeping Annette far from her thoughts. She resented her being brought up in the conversation, namely because it reminded her of her guilt. Her stomach twisted, feeling as if it was curling around itself. "I don't want to talk about her," she remarked, staring into her drink.

Sebastian of course wasn't going to let it go. "Are you afraid how she's going to retaliate?" he asked.

Kathryn looked up meeting his stare. "Actually, I'm more afraid I'll never see her again."

He rolled his eyes at her and drawled, "So dramatic. I wouldn't worry about it. Odds are slim your lady love is going anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"My aunt went to see her this evening. I highly doubt she's going to allow headmaster daddy to ship off her star pupil."

Kathryn took this in, feeling at once elated and furious. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

He shrugged, unbothered. "Slipped my mind."

"You're such an asshole," she grumbled. "I really hate you sometimes."

He had the nerve to laugh. "No, you don't. Secret's out, remember?"

Kathryn looked up at him sharply. "You're going to use that against me every chance you get now, is that it?"

Sebastian's face fell and he quickly back tracked. "I…no. I didn't mean it like that I…um…"

This time Kathryn smiled. "Sebastian Valmont at a loss for words, my my, wonders never cease." Wanting to put an end to this conversation before it led somewhere dangerous, she pulled him close and drew him into a long, slow kiss. When they broke apart, he looked a little dazed and she knew she had him back where she wanted him. "You know, this doesn't change anything right?"

He nodded, face expressionless then pulled her onto his lap. With his forehead pressed to hers he murmured, "How about just for tonight, we pretend all the other bullshit doesn't matter?"

"Okay"

* * *

He felt like he was burning alive. It was Kathryn, currently draped over him like a heated blanket. Sebastian detested being hot, but in that moment he didn't mind. Wrapping an arm around her he held her tighter, but he didn't open his eyes.

The storm had cleared and the clouds had parted giving way to a bright morning sun that was obnoxiously streaming in through the library windows, stinging his eyelids, but he didn't so much as stir. He didn't even chance opening his eyes to watch her sleep because he knew. Sebastian knew as soon as he woke up his night with Kathryn will have come to an end and everything would go back to how it was before. No more touching her whenever (however) he felt like it, no more shared hushed laughter, no more emotional honesty, no more of her looking at him like he's the only person in her world.

There was no way Kathryn would allow that to continue in the bright light of day. He was her stepbrother and her nemesis and sure she might have loved him at one point, but she was obviously still in love with the headmaster's daughter. This was clearly just a one off for her

That's not to say Sebastian was just going to roll over and let her have her way. If Kathryn thought she could dangle that little taste of what it was like to be together and he'd just walk away, she had another thing coming.

"Ahem"

Sebastian was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of someone clearing there throat. A _male_ someone. He jerked awake to find his father sitting on the armchair beside the couch watching them. The very same armchair he fucked Kathryn on the night before. Edward Valmont was dressed in his best tennis whites, a bemused expression on his face, his overly emotive eyebrows, high on his forehead. "Well, good morning," his booming voice greeted them with more enthusiasm than any man who just discovered his children were fucking had any right to.

"Oh god," Kathryn gasped, awake and suddenly alert. Her eyes were large and panicked as she scurried to cover herself with the blanket Sebastian was now happy, he had thought to cover them with last night. Small favors

His father leaned down and retrieved Kathryn's robe from the other side of the broken coffee table and handed it to her with a small smile. "Your mother was looking for you all last night. She was frantic with worry." Side eyeing his son he added pointedly, "I had a feeling you two were holed up in here."

Sebastian highly doubted Tiffany had ever been frantic about anything outside of her vodka and her bank account. "Did you tell her?" he asked carefully.

"No," he told him before turning to his stepdaughter with paternal warmth, "But perhaps you outta go tell her you're okay. She's in her room getting a message."

Kathryn, who had somehow managed to get her robe on without exposing herself, untangled herself fully from Sebastian and got to her feet. "Thank you Edward," she told him quietly before making a quick exit. It didn't go unnoticed by Sebastian that she didn't so much as make eye contact with him before running out of there. That didn't bode well.

Left alone with his father and dreading what he assumed was going to be an awkward and painful conversation, Sebastian let out a long sigh and stared up at the ceiling. "Okay let's hear it."

To his surprise his father let out a laugh and exclaimed, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

He looked at him unbothered and shrugged.

Still smirking his father shook his head, "Not good enough son. How long has this been going on? Is _this_ what you two have been up to every time your stepmother and I leave town?"

"You told me to keep an eye on her," he drawled.

"Don't be cute." Edward started to sit on the broken table only to think better of it and take a seat the cusp of the couch so he could stare down at him. Sebastian wasn't impressed. His father had never exactly been father of the year and he'd be damned if chose now to start parenting. "This is serious Sebastian. I mean I always knew you had a thing for her, but I thought she at least had the common sense—"

"Dad, can we not?"

"Sebastian this is not some Manchester debutante or the princess of Sweden we are talking about. She's your goddamn stepsister." Staring at the broken table in exasperation he remarked, "I mean this is depraved even for you."

"Try not to sound so proud when you say that," he quipped.

"I mean if your stepmother found out about this, I don't have to tell you my balls won't be the only ones on the chopping block."

"I'm well aware," he sighed. "Look you have nothing to worry about, Tiffany won't find out anything."

His father looked far from convinced. "I just want to make sure you two don't have any plans to run off together like some kind of demented incestuous Romeo and Juliet. I don't even want to think about what would happen in the media got wind of this—"

"Dad! For fucks sake, no one is going to find out about this," Sebastian exclaimed. He was tired and sick of discussing this with his father of all people. Desperate to get rid of him and put the conversation to bed he lied, "It was just a drunken hook-up. It was a onetime mistake I don't plan on making again. Come on, you know me. I don't shit where I eat."

Edward eyed him like he was trying to assess if he was full of shit or not. Finally, he remarked, "Good, glad to hear it. And Kathryn, is she on the same page?"

That was the question of the hour, now wasn't it? "Don't worry about Kathryn," Sebastian told him with more confidence than he was feeling. "I'll handle her."

"I hope you know what you're doing son."

"Yeah, so do I."


	22. The Gala

**Chapter 21: The Gala**

* * *

_Let's get this shit show started._

With a resigned sigh Kathryn descended the stairs. She looked amazing, but then again that was a given. Kathryn Merteuil was never allowed to look less than completely perfect. At this point she wasn't sure who's standards exactly she was trying to live up to, her own, her mother's or society, but she supposed it didn't matter anymore. Nothing did.

Anyway, the gown was black, Gucci, deep slit, tits tastefully on display. Sophisticated, but hot as fuck. In other words, totally on brand.

She made her way down to the party, greeted on the way by appreciative stares and smiles. She kept her expression neutral and didn't stop to talk with anyone until she reached the landing where her date was waiting.

"Would you think I'm lame if I said you were the most beautiful girl in the room?"

That line coming from anyone else would immediately trigger her gag reflex. There was something about Jack however that told her he was on the level. The boy just screamed sincerity. Normally that sort of thing would turn her off or at the very least make her want to destroy it, but there was something about Jack's humanity that made him so appealing.

Then again, perhaps it was just the python he had locked away in his pants that she was so eager to play with that was doing it for her.

"Maybe," she replied with a coy smile, slipping her arm into his, "But it's always nice to hear." She offered up a wink and a flirty grin she wasn't really feeling, then allowed him to escort her deeper into the party.

It was a grand a shindig as Kathryn ever remembered attending. Helen had opened up her newly renovated ballroom and filled it with all the most powerful and influential people in the country, many of whom were Manchester alums. Taking a quick cursory glance around she spotted the mayor, two state senators, Rupert Murdoch and his current wife, his ex-wife Wendi Deng and some of her Hollywood hanger-on's in one corner, a few Oscar winners and at least three presidential candidates. Everyone was dressed in their best designer duds, some making small talk, some making deals. Normally being surrounded by this much power and money turned her on instead she was just over it.

She and Jack made the rounds, dutifully greeting her aunt and her parents before being schmoozing with some of the big wigs. Everyone they met complimented them on what a nice couple they made. Kathryn demurred (she still couldn't master blushing on command) and Jack grinned proudly. When he introduced her to his family, they greeted her with eager smiles and compliments. Apparently, whomever he dated last hadn't been nearly impressive as she.

Throughout it all, Kathryn discreetly scanned the party, looking for that familiar head of blonde hair, but she was nowhere to be found. All night Annette's name was on everyone's lips as they wondered where she was. Most assumed she was coming fashionably late as she was the guest of honor. Kathryn had expected Helen to make some kind of announcement about her having to leave town suddenly on account of a sick relative or whatever bullshit excuse the headmaster dished out for her, but her aunt was carrying on business as usual. All of this led her to wonder if perhaps there was hope Annette hadn't been sent away after all. If that was true however, where was she?

"Care to dance?"

The question pulled her from her thoughts. Kathryn forced a smile. "Sure."

Honestly, she wasn't in the mood, but if it got her away from Jack's odious mother and her prying questions, she was all for it. He led her out onto the dance floor and pulled her in close but not to close. There was a full orchestra set up on the stage at the end of the room and they were joined by a man in a white dinner jacket singing old standards.

"Why do I get the feeling you're a million miles away tonight?"

Kathryn blinked at the question, caught off guard. "Oh, um, I'm sorry Jack. It's just…I didn't sleep well last night. The storm kept me up." Amongst other things. God, she was still sore.

He regarded her with surprise, smiling easily. "Wow, I didn't think a girl as formidable as you would be afraid of storms."

"I'm not afraid," she said tightly before catching herself. "Besides, what makes you think I'm formidable?"

"Oh, I don't know, student body president, president of the French club, debate team captain, president of the junior Whitney committee, homecoming queen. People don't generally stumble into those positions. You have to want them and be willing to put in the hard work and sacrifice to get them. That's you. Frankly Kathryn, you're one of the most formidable people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Kathryn hadn't been anticipating that. She was used to a certain level of obtuseness when it came to teenage boys. The ones she knew tended to either view her as a trophy or a cunt to fuck. She wasn't used to being viewed as a human being. "Someone's been paying attention," she remarked, trying to mask her astonishment.

"You're hard to ignore."

She was about to volley back a remark about his own impressive resume, when she caught a flash of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. Kathryn's head jerked in the direction only to find it belonged to some nobody sophomore. _Shit_.

"I wish I had that talent."

Turning back to him she asked, "Sorry?"

He laughed. "You've been looking around the whole night. Who are you searching for?"

For a brief moment she considered telling him the truth. She supposed it wouldn't really be that suspicious given everyone else was looking for her too. Instead she lied, "Um, my mother."

"She's over there, dancing with your stepfather."

Kathryn turned to find he was right, as her mother and Edward where dancing on the other side of the dance floor. For once they weren't at each other's throats and actually looked like they were having a good time together. Kathryn flashed back to when they first got together five years ago when they couldn't keep their hands off each other and she'd walk into random rooms to find them mid coitus. Those were some dark days.

"They make a nice couple," Jack remarked.

Kathryn couldn't help herself from making a sardonic comment. "Not really. You're just witnessing the calm before the storm."

"Really?"

"Hmm. My mother and stepfather view marriage more as a part time enterprise than a lifelong commitment."

She expected him to look shocked, but he merely nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I don't think my parents ever loved each other. Well my dad loved my mom's money and she loved his family name. But there was never any real love there. What about you Kathryn, have you ever been in love?"

"Yes," she replied before she had time to think it over. Curiosity flickered in his expression and she imagined he thought she was alluding to Court. _As if_. Kathryn laughed lightly. "It's not all it's cracked up to be, believe me."

Jack smiled warmly at her. "Yeah, I—"

"Mind if I cut in?"

Kathryn resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she heard that familiar drawl. She turned to find Sebastian standing beside them, expression smug and irritating. He looked impeccable naturally. Black Brioni tux, exquisitely tailored with a white silk scarf around his neck for drama, not that he needed it. Sebastian's very presence was dramatic enough. She found it immensely annoying.

"As a matter of fact—"

"It's okay Kathryn," Jack spoke up, releasing her to her stepbrother. "I see someone I need to talk to. I'll be back in a minute."

He walked away allowing her to be scooped up by Sebastian. Although she would have dearly liked to have told him to fuck off and stalk away, propriety dictated she dance with him. Reluctantly she placed an arm around his neck and took his hand, letting him lead. Of course, he wasted no time leaning in inappropriately close and remarking, "You look hot sis."

The smell of his cologne invaded her senses causing her body to immediately go into high alert. That familiar heat began to gather in her belly and her skin suddenly felt hot. _You're not getting laid tonight_, she told herself. _At least not by him_. "Don't start," she ordered as much to him as to herself. Then before she could stop herself, she asked, "Where have you been?"

His lips quirked up in a pleased smirk. "Miss me, have you?"

"Please," she huffed, staring disinterestedly over his shoulder. "In case you missed it I've been trying to avoid you."

"Whatever you say. So, Jack huh? I thought he bored you?"

She shrugged. "I decided I was being rash. He's far too valuable a prospect to toss away without fully exploiting his value."

"Wow, you sound positively Tiffany-esque," he remarked sarcastically. "Brava sis."

"Eat me Sebastian."

"Is that a request?"

"Knock it off."

"You didn't seem to mind last night. In fact, if memory serves you were begging for it, squirming around so much I had to hold you down." He leaned in and husked against her ear, "I can still taste you."

They shared a loaded look and Kathryn had to physically stop herself from dragging him back into one of the empty parlors and riding him into the Aubusson. However, she knew the consequences of indulging in such a fantasy, so she kept it to herself.

Sebastian however did not.

"Well when he disappoints you again," he remarked wistfully, pulling her in close enough she could feel his half hard cock against her leg, "Remember my door is always open." He then not so subtly reached around and squeezed her ass.

Kathryn immediately tried to wretch out of his grip, but he held tight. "Are you out of your mind?" She hissed under her breath, "We are in _public_. People can see."

"So? Let them see. Would it really bother you?"

"_Yes_"

"Liar"

Growing increasingly annoyed by the conversation she told him icily, "I meant what I said last night Sebastian. What we did…it doesn't change anything."

"For you maybe," he muttered quietly, his gaze trained away from her.

She was genuinely caught off guard by his remark, but figuring it was just part of whatever game he was playing she ignored it. "You forget who you're dealing with _Valmont_. I know exactly what last night meant to you. It was the culmination of five years of trying to add me to your list of conquests. Well congratulations, dear brother, I am now officially one of the notches in your headboard."

He pulled back a little from her. He had the gall to appear annoyed. "I forgot you know me so well."

"Am I wrong? It was just a drunken hook-up right? After all, _you don't shit where you eat_."

"What are you—_oh_." Realization dawned on his features. He tugged her closer so he could speak in her ear. "You were listening?"

"Of course, I had to make sure you wouldn't go and run your mouth to daddy." Actually, she had eavesdropped partly out of habit, but mostly because she was curious if Sebastian would make any kind of admittance about them. Would he admit his feelings for her or tell his father that they were going to do what they wanted, fuck the consequences? She doesn't know why she was the least bit surprised when instead he acted exactly how she expected. Like a coward. Like her.

"Not that I owe you an explanation, but I only told him those things so he'd back off. I didn't want him running to your mother telling her they had a problem and the next thing you know one or both of us is being shipped off. I was being practical. I thought you'd approve."

Once upon a time, she could tell when he was bullshitting her as easily as she could tell when he was breathing. Something had shifted however, she didn't know if he had just gotten better at masking his lies or if she was losing the ability to detect them, either way it wasn't good. The stupid part was she was kind of hoping he was on the level.

Still, she was careful to keep all signs of emotion off her face as she remarked bored, "If that's true then I stand corrected, you're not as dumb as you act sometimes."

"And you're not as indifferent. You had a good time last night."

"I never said I didn't."

Sebastian gave her that familiar predatory smirk. "Then, what do you say, you ditch Dudley doo-right and meet me back in the library…"

Anything else he might have said fell on deaf ears as Kathryn's attention, along with half of the room, suddenly shifted to the new arrival. It was Annette. Standing at the entrance of the ballroom, she wore a strapless pale blue ballgown and a radiant, confident smile. Cinderella had arrived at the ball after all.

"Oh my god."

* * *

"Oh my god," exclaimed a pretty senior whose name escaped her. "Annette, I love your dress! Is it Rodarte?"

"Dior," she corrected her as she sailed on past. It seemed there were people on all sides of her, vying for her attention as she pressed further into the ballroom. She could feel the weight of Courts hand on her lower back and it made her want to wrench away from him.

"Looks like you're the belle of the ball babe," he murmured in her ear.

Had they not been surrounded by people she would have openly sneered at him. Jesus, this had been a bad idea. Ever since he picked her up it had been one obnoxious comment after the next. How the hell had Kathryn stanned it she wondered. She could barely get through an hour with the Neanderthal, forget six months.

As they pressed further into the room, Annette's gazed at all the familiar faces. Some of them she recognized from school, some from tv and the internet. She was drinking it all in when she spotted the one person she had been dreading seeing the most.

It was Kathryn of course. Standing on the edge of the dance floor, with Sebastian not far behind. Surprise, surprise. Annette couldn't tell you what she was wearing (though she supposed it was expensive and beautiful and black) as she was too struck by the look on her face. She had been expecting her to appear quietly furious or perhaps she'd have that expert poker face on. Instead, the expression that greeted her was open and almost vulnerable in its surprise. Annette had thought she'd be furious when she finally saw her, she thought she'd have to restrain herself from tearing her apart with her bare hands. But really all she wanted to do was go over there and confront her and demand answers.

She could feel herself starting to turn in her direction only to change her mind at the last second. She knew if she went over there, they would get into it, not directly of course. They'd exchange barbs about each other's dates and make a lot of veiled inuendo and it would probably take all of two minutes for Annette to get pulled into it with her again. She couldn't allow that to happen. Not on this night. It was too important and she wasn't going to let that bitch ruin it for her.

So instead she sailed right past her, pretending as if she hadn't even noticed her as she made her way across the room to where Mrs. Rosemond was holding court beside her father. "Oh Annette, dear how beautiful you look."

Taking her by the hands, the older woman pulled her in for a brief air kiss. Annette didn't have to fake her gratitude. "Thank you so much for the dress Mrs. Rosemond. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever worn."

Annette had just about shit herself when the box from Bergdorf's arrived that morning. Once again, she had briefly thought it might have come from Kathryn, some kind of peace offering. She had every intention of stuffing it down the garbage disposal until she found the card signaling it was in fact from Mrs. Rosemond. Annette wasn't into expensive gifts or charity, but since she was already accepting this rich broad's bribe to pay from her ivy league education, what was one measly dress?

"I knew it would be perfect for you as soon as I saw it," she cooed looking her over. "And please call me Helen."

"Well thank you again Helen. The party is amazing." The word party seemed kind of inadequate, but she couldn't bring herself to call it something as pretentious as 'gala'.

She patted her hand and told her, "You deserve it my dear. Now, I'll be making my announcement and presenting the check for the foundation in just a little while so don't go far. Oh, and afterwards I want to introduce you to some very important people."

"I can't wait." Indeed, for once she wasn't full of shit. She felt as if she could see her future laid out before her, a glittering avenue of unlimited possibilities and she wanted to experience all of it.

"You look lovely Annette." She turned at her father's voice and had to resist the urge she smile smugly in response. He had been quietly chatting with Court as she and Helen spoke, likely drinking in every word of their conversation. Of course he didn't remark how proud he was of her or what an accomplishment this night was for her, but instead went for the most inane comment on her physical appearance.

"Thank you daddy," she replied sweetly as she purposely fingered the ring she wore around her neck. It was her mother's engagement ring. She had stolen it from her jewelry box when she was twelve and refused to give it back when her father demanded it, hiding it from him. At the time she had done it to punish him for some transgression. Tonight, she wore it as not only a 'fuck you' to him but as a reminder to herself to never become her—trapped and stifled in a relationship that stole away all her ambition and sense of self. Dramatic maybe, but kind of necessary.

Benjamin Hargrove's gaze zeroed in on the ring and he shifted uncomfortably. She could imagine all the ways he'd punish her, but Annette wasn't bothered. With Helen by her side she was untouchable, and he knew it.

Annette was about to make some kind of needling comment about how excited she was for the upcoming school year when she felt herself being enveloped in a hug by Siobhan. "Girl, you look a-mazing," she laughed stepping back to admire her. "Where did you get that dress?"

She knew what she was really asking was, 'how did you afford it?' but Shiv would never be that tacky. "It was a present from a friend," Annette replied.

Siobhan cast a brief, glance of approval in Courts direction. "Your friend has good taste."

As if Court would ever waste time purchasing any sort of garment for a girl he couldn't remove with his teeth. Annette made a mental note to correct her later. "What about you? You look fantastic Shiv." It wasn't an exaggeration either. In her silver body hugging gown, she looked just like her supermodel mother. Annette deeply envied those genes.

Shiv gave a little twirl at the compliment. "I know right. I seriously haven't eaten a thing all week."

"A problem I am in the middle of rectifying." Ronald came up behind them, handing his date a small plate of finger foods. "Eat something please. I plan on spending a good part of the night on that dance floor and I'll be damned if I have you passing out on me."

If she could, Annette imagined Shiv would be blushing right then. Biting her lower lip, she took a nibble of a shrimp then smiled playfully. "There, happy?"

"Very." Ronald leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, baby."

Annette's eyebrows rose at the endearment and the way the usual reserved and cool Shiv practically melted into him embrace. When she had suggested last week that Ronald ask Siobhan to the gala, he had demurred at first until Annette suggested it might do him good to put some distance between him and Cecile. She didn't know what had happened between then and now but apparently it was effective. The way she figured it either Ronald was the type to fall hard and fast or else Shiv was amazing in bed. Either way, mazal tov.

"I see you two are getting along," Annette teased.

Before either could respond Court spoke up. "Yeah, I thought you had better taste than that Shiv."

Ronald pulled away from his date. "What was that Reynolds?"

"You heard me," he snarled, his handsome face pulled back in silent rage. The two of them glared at one another like two cats getting ready to pounce. It might have been amusing if it wasn't so pathetic.

"Court," Annette called his name sharply, "Go fetch me something to drink."

At first, she thought he didn't hear her as he continued his staring match with Ronald. After a moment he did as he was told. "Yeah, sure," he grumbled before stalking off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Pussy," Ronald muttered under his breath, still looking furious.

Shiv rolled her eyes. "Babe, why don't you hold tight. Me and Annette need to talk in private."

Taking her by the hand, Shiv led her out of the party. "Can you believe them?" she called over her shoulder. "And all over a girl as boring as Cecile Caldwell."

They ended up in a large, ornately decorated powder room. As soon as the door closed behind them Shiv pulled out a cigarette. "Do you mind?"

Never had Annette wanted a drag more in her life, but she knew she couldn't chance it. Instead she gave an indifferent wave, "Of course not. So…you and Ronald seem like you're having a good time."

Shiv lit up at the mention of her boyfriend. "Annette, I don't know how I will ever thank you. Ronald is amazing, he's sweet and attentive and when I talk it actually seems like he's listening to me. Oh, and on top of that he gives the _best_ head."

Now that she wasn't expecting. Kathryn hadn't been particularly impressed with his skills in the bedroom. Annette wondered how much of his prowess was on account of Kathryn's influence. "Well, um, I'm glad to hear it. You guys are cute together." Drawing a breath, she hesitated before asking her next question. "So, have you forgiven me then for lying about Sebastian?"

She had fed Shiv a story that wasn't the truth, but was a little closer than the lie she told everyone else. The party line was the compromising photos that leaked of her and Sebastian were fake, created by one of the rival campaigns or perhaps one of Valmont's vindictive cast offs. Everyone bought it, but Annette knew Shiv wouldn't be so easily swayed, so she told her yes, she had hooked up with Sebastian over the summer. After which he seduced and dumped her. She hadn't told anyone because she was so embarrassed and didn't want her reputation damaged before she even stepped foot in Manchester. It was a solid enough lie, close to the truth without being, you know, the _actual_ truth. The thing was though, she wasn't all together sure Shiv bought it.

Resting against the sink basin, she took a long drag off her cigarette, her face expressionless. After a beat she shrugged. "Yeah, I told you, we're cool. I get it. I mean if I could go back and keep Sebastian from opening his mouth about our little liaison, trust me I damn well would."

"It should never have happened in the first place," she muttered joining her at the sink.

"Shit happens, no need to beat yourself up about it. No offense, but it's nice to know, perfect girls like you fuck up every once in a while too."

Annette turned and studied her reflection in the mirror, her gaze falling on the diamond ring around her neck. "Believe me, I'm far from perfect."

"Right. Well speaking of which, you and Court look pretty perfect together. Are you still not into him?"

"Not even a little bit. He's a total frat boy, I'll be lucky if I get through this night without stabbing him. The only reason I agreed to come with him was because Trevor cancelled at the last minute."

"You're sure it wasn't to make Valmont jealous?"

Annette made a face. "Ew. No."

Pushing off the sink, Shiv grew serious as she turned to her. "It's just—"

She was cut off when the bathroom door opened and Ainsley Porter came strutting in. Kathryn's number one boot licker was clearly on a mission as she marched up to her. As always, Annette had never seen a teenager as devoid of human emotion as Ainsley Porter. She was attractive, tall, slim with pin straight blond hair that hit just at her shoulders and a pretty face that didn't know how to smile without looking robotic. There was an intensity to her that was a little frightening, but kind of admirable.

Without any preamble she told Annette, "She wants to speak to you."

There was of course no reason to ask who she was referring to. They all knew which queen Ainsley served. Before Annette could politely decline, Shiv spoke up. "Shouldn't you be off sucking Kathryn's dick or whatever it is you do? Fuck off with your little message."

Ainsley barely spared her a glance as her attention remained laser focused on Annette. "She's waiting in the billiards room," she informed her.

Annette shook her head. "Tell her I'm sorry, but I don't think so. I have a party to get back to."

Rather than look put out that she was being dismissed, the other girl appeared almost pleased. Tilting her head she seemed to be sizing her up. "I thought you'd say as much. I should tell you it's in your best interest to take this meeting. It would be a shame if some incriminating intel would get released this close to the election. _On tonight of all nights_."

Well there was a threat if ever she heard one. Annette wondered if it was coming from Kathryn or if Ainsley was going rouge.

Siobhan of course wasn't having it. "Bitch, she's not going anywhere with you. I suggest you take that bony little ass of yours—"

"Shiv it's okay," Annette stepped in. "I'll go talk with her."

"Not alone you're not. I'll be damned if—"

"No, it's okay. Go find Ronald, I'm sure he's wondering where you are." With a reassuring nod she added confidently, "I got this."

Shiv looked less than impressed, but she backed off. "Alright but make it quick. Mrs. Rosemond is getting ready to make her speech or whatever."

Annette nodded in agreement then followed Ainsley out of the bathroom and back down an empty hall. Her stomach filled with dread as she approached the room. The fucked up thing of it was she knew if she wanted she could have gotten out of it. Ainsley might be intimidating but Annette had dealt with worse. The truth was she wanted to confront Kathryn and this gave her the perfect excuse to do it.

When they approached the room, Ainsley opened the door then closed it behind her not following her in. Rolling her eyes at all the manufactured drama, Annette turned around to find Kathryn leaning against a billiards table in the center. The room was done up like a men's club house, all mahogany wood and leather club chairs. It was scarcely lit, the only source of light coming from a small Tiffany lamp over the bar in the corner. Annette took all this in trying to avoid staring at Kathryn, as if she found the decor so much more interesting. Of course, it didn't last long.

_You couldn't ignore me if you tried._

Squaring her shoulders, she gathered her shit together. As she approached, she drank her in—black, low cut sophisticated dress. Kathryn was beautiful of course and there was a part of Annette that dearly wanted to just grab her and crush her body to her. Fuck that perfect make-up right off her. However, as she approached, she remembered what she had done to her and her anger grew until it suddenly felt as if it had a life of its own.

"I wasn't sure you'd come," Kathryn remarked, a smiling teasing the edge of her mouth.

"I wasn't going to, but then I remembered there was something I forgot to give you."

"Oh? What's that?"

Annette replied with a hard smack across the face. The sound ricochet off the walls, cutting through the quiet. Kathryn's hand flew to her cheek as she looked back at her with wide, shocked eyes. Annette waited for the storm of curses and threats she was sure would follow. Instead, she's surprised when Kathryn stammered, "I-I guess I deserved that."

She flexed her stinging hand at her side and snarled, "Baby, that's the _least_ you deserve." Despite her harsh words, Annette none the less found herself stomping over to the bar and opening the fridge to remove some ice. She dumped some ice into a napkin, keeping one sharp eye on her ex who had come to stand on the other side. "What exactly were you thinking?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea what your bullshit almost cost me? If your aunt hadn't intervened, I'd be in Kansas right now. Forget Yale, forget a future. You nearly destroyed me and for what? So, you can win a fucking _high school _election? Do you even care?"

Annette shoved the ice pack at her and Kathryn took it. "Of course I care," she replied, her voice quiet almost timid. "And it wasn't about the election."

"What was it about then? Darcy? Sebastian? Christ, I knew you were capable of a lot of horrendous shit, but I never thought you could turn it on me. I actually believed you when you told me you loved me. Aren't I a chump."

"I did love you—I do."

"Right." Sneering at her, Annette exited the bar and as she passed Kathryn grabbed her arm. She could feel her lean in to kiss her and immediately she jerked back. "Don't. You can't fuck your way out of it this time princess."

Turning away from her she ignored the wounded look in her eyes and told herself to get the hell out of there. She did what she came to do. There was no point in sticking around and yet she couldn't seem to make herself go.

Circling around the pool table, she rolled one of the balls against the green and quietly demanded, "What about that text huh? Was that some kind of joke too?"

"Sebastian wrote it," Kathryn explained, wincing as her stepbrother's name passed her lips. "He got my phone, it's not—" She stopped herself and gave a brief shake of her head. "I'm sorry, it was cruel and thoughtless, and I should have put a stop to it."

Annette was taken aback by the apology but was quick to hide it. Considering this contrite version of Kathryn she asked, "And what you said about the election, was that on the level? Are you going to drop out?"

"That depends"

"On?"

"On you."

Rounding the table, with renewed fire, she grabbed Kathryn by the throat. Digging her nails into her porcelain skin she snarled, "I could destroy you, you know that don't you? Those pictures I took would be the least of it. All the shit I have on you…I could expose you to the world, the _real_ you."

"Do it," Kathryn murmured.

Annette's gaze narrowed. Was she serious? Frustrated with this whole scene, she let her go and with a rueful shake of her head told her, "You're not worth it. I'm going to let you keep your miserable life and in return you won't talk to me, you won't send one of your little minions to fetch me, just stay away. This is done with."

She turned away, intent on walking away and not looking back. Before she could reach the door however, Kathryn called out, her voice edging on hysterical. "Annette please. Please come back!" Annette stopped but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry, I fucked up, I took it too far."

"Not good enough," she snarled.

"I was scared, alright! Everything was slipping out of my control and I didn't know what to do. You're always two steps ahead of me and then you show up with _her_—"

Annette whirled around. "So, you were jealous, is that it? Bullshit. I told you why I invited her. There was no reason to be jealous of Darcy."

"I wasn't jealous of that stupid girl," she huffed. "As if I could ever…I was jealous of _you_."

"Me?"

"Of course. Look at you!" She exclaimed gesturing at her. "It's just so fucking easy for you."

"What is?"

"_Everything_!" Turning away Kathryn walked back to the pool table, leaning against it. Annette followed unable to stop herself. "I've spent my whole life doing everything in my power to make myself perfect so that everyone will love me. I've sacrificed my time, my body, my goddamn sanity, but it's still not enough. I thought I finally had a grip on everything, then you show up and everyone falls for every line of your bullshit, the school, the parents, _Sebastian_. You don't even have to try."

"Of course, I try," Annette told her.

"Not like me." She shook her head, looking impossibly broken. "I knew there was a possibility your father would send you back to Kansas, but I also knew it wouldn't stop you. It would be a roadblock nothing else. You will have a big, bright future full of big things. Nothing I do could stand in the way of that. Me on the other hand…"

"What about you?"

Kathryn met her gaze and smiled without humor. In the faint light Annette could see tears prickle her eyes. "Oh, come on, we both know my future. If, on the off chance this," she tapped the side of her nose, "doesn't get me or one of my other charming habits, I'm sure I'll end up marrying some off-brand Court Reynolds. I'll waste my Ivy league education on picking place settings and yelling at the help. I'll fulfill my destiny of becoming my mother just as we always knew I would."

Annette swallowed thickly, shaking her head. "Kathryn you don't have to become your mother."

"I don't really think I have a choice in the matter. It's funny, I resigned myself to my fate and then I met you and…suddenly I didn't care anymore about all that. I thought maybe I didn't have to become her, but then, well, I guess I sort of fucked that up, didn't I?"

She was waiting for her to tell her, she was wrong. The thing was Annette could feel the words form on her tongue as she was overcome with the desire to comfort her. Then just as quickly she was filled with suspicion that she was being played once again. She couldn't allow this to continue.

Backing away she told her, "I-I have to go."

"Annette don't." Kathryn reached out for her, one hand taking her arm, the other cupping her face, forcing her gaze on her. "Please don't leave me."

The next thing she knew Kathryn was on her, kissing her mouth. Annette pressed her hand to her chest as if trying to dislodge her, but instead she found her fist curling around the fabric of her dress and tugging her closer. Despite the voice screaming in her head not to, Annette kissed her back briefly. When she felt Kathryn trying to wrap around her, she finally got hold of her senses and pushed her away, only Kathryn wouldn't be so easily deterred. Pulling her back, her forehead pressed to Annette's she murmured, "Stop fighting this. You want this." She kissed her, more aggressively than before. "You still love me."

"I hate you," Annette hissed back although even as the words left her mouth, she knew they were a lie. Frustrated with herself and resentful of the fact that Kathryn was indeed right, she suddenly was overcome with the need to punish her for it.

Shoving a hand into Kathryn's perfect updo, she jerked her forward kissing her back with brutal force. They stumbled back against the pool table. Annette jerked back from her then shoved her around. Her hands, shaking with excitement and eagerness, she pulled at the straps of Kathryn's dress down, she yanked impatiently at the zipper in back until the garment pooled at her feet, leaving her in a few scraps of lace. Even in the dim light Annette could see the finger shaped bruises on her hips. She didn't linger on it. Instead, she bit at her shoulder as her hands traveled down the length of her body, taking in the smooth expanse of her skin, before she shoved her left hand in her panties. Kathryn whimpered arching against her. She was slick and hot against her fingers. Eager.

"I hate you," Annette repeated into her neck, shaking from the weight of it. She said it as if it absolved her from anything. As if it was true.

She slipped two eager fingers inside her tight core and Kathryn cried out, reaching behind to grab her. Tilting her head back she found her mouth. As Annette worked her over she kissed her and kissed her until she forgot her own name.

"I really fucking hate you," Annette gasped against her lips.

This time Kathryn laughed. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

It wasn't exactly his finest moment. Leaning against the door to the billiards room Sebastian acknowledged to himself that it was quite possible he'd crossed the line into pathetic. He was so desperate to find out what was going on with them he had resorted to eavesdropping and spying through the keyhole. It was the textbook definition of pathetic.

And yet he couldn't make himself stop.

They were fucking he was sure of it. The sound of Kathryn high pitched moan could be heard even over the considerable noise of the party wafting down the hall. He could hear Annette too, but she wasn't nearly as loud. No surprise. She never gave anything away, not even during sex.

It wasn't the sex that bothered him however, it was what came before. When he spotted Annette trailing after Ainsley, he suspected she was taking her to see the conspicuously absent Kathryn. The bitch actually stood guard outside the door, but Sebastian knew that house like the back of his hand and quickly found the door to the other entrance. He listened as they fought and Annette tore his stepsister a new asshole. Sebastian had been pleased, that is until Kathryn started to plead with her to stay with her.

In all the years he'd known her, he had never heard her speak like that. His first instinct insisted she was just playing her, Kathryn after all was the consummate bullshit artist. It had to be a lie. But the more he listened the more he realized she was likely on the level. Not even Kathryn was that good an actress. It was too vulnerable, too raw. Admitting her own jealousies, owning up to her own foibles, those weren't the typical plays out of the Merteuil handbook. It was for real.

It was then Sebastian had the sinking realization that Kathryn actually was in love. Sure, she had admitted as much and he had more or less taken her at her word, but in the back of his mind he had always just assumed it was infatuation. Give it a little time and she'd grow bored with her. But no, no he was mistaken. Listening to his sister beg for forgiveness he knew it was real. She really loved Annette.

So where did that leave him exactly? Sebastian had thought after last night something had shifted between them, that maybe they had put all the bullshit and all the games behind them. She admitted she loved him, that meant something dammit. Then again maybe it didn't.

Pushing away from the door, Sebastian found himself walking down the empty hallway, lost in a fog, his mind replaying the events of the evening thus far. He didn't even realize his aunt Helen was in front of him until he nearly walked right into her.

"Oh Sebastian!" she exclaimed, getting his attention.

He attempted to force a smile but didn't quite make it. "Aunt Helen. Sorry, I uh, didn't see you."

"Sebastian have you seen Annette? I'm about to make the presentation."

For the briefest of seconds, he toyed with telling her exactly where to find her. He imagined his aunt's horrified reaction upon finding her favorite little debutant with her hand in her niece's panties. It might be worth it, then again maybe not. "No, I haven't seen her."

"Could you do me a favor and find her please?" Before he could reply she produced a skeleton key and handed it to him. With an odd sort of look in her eye she told him, "Just in case."

Sebastian cocked an elegant brow at this as he watched his aunt disappear back down the hall. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder about her.

Shaking the thought off Sebastian did as he was asked and headed around the corner to the entrance of the billiards room where Ainsley Porter was standing guard, looking like some beautiful Greek statue in her silver column gown.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" she demanded, her tone as always coldly robotic.

"Good evening to you to Ainsley," he greeted her with his best shit eating grin. "I'm going to fetch Annette."

"The hell you are," she sniffed. Turning the full weight of her mega bitch stare on him she explained, "_If_ Annette was on the other side of those doors, and I'm not saying she is, she's likely in the middle of something and won't wished to be disturbed."

"I'm sure she wouldn't. Too bad she has little say in the matter."

Sebastian went for the door handle only for Ainsley to grab his wrist and dig her nails into him. "Touch that door and I will rip off your balls and shove them up your ass."

"Kinky. It's a shame you didn't show this kind of initiative in bed. You might have been worth a repeat performance."

"Don't flatter yourself Valmont. Despite what that reputation of yours claims, you are not the second coming of Warren Beatty. I had better orgasms with that freshman foreign exchange student from Botswana and half his body was covered in moles."

"You're a strange girl."

That wasn't the half of it. For all intents and purposes, Ainsley should be Kathryn's biggest competition. She was prettier than his stepsister, seemingly just as ruthless and related to the Kennedy's, but for reasons only known to her she rather be Kathryn's foot soldier instead. It was true Ainsley lacked Kathryn's phony charm but that could be faked.

There was something vaguely off putting about the girl and her strange intensity. The only reason Sebastian fucked her in the first place was to get a rise out of Kathryn. He had mistakenly believed that underneath that cold exterior lurked a wanton slut. Their brief time in the sack however proved him wrong. It was like fucking a robot.

"Well as entertaining as this has been," he yanked his hand out of her grip. "We're running out of time. Either you let me fetch Annette or else my Aunt Helen will come fetch her and I don't think you want her to see what I suspect is going on behind this door."

She stared him down for one long beat before grudgingly moving aside so he could enter. Sebastian offered up a phony smile before heading inside. His amusement at having won that little battle quickly died when he entered the billiards room.

They made quite the sight, he had to admit. Kathryn in just her skimpy lace underwear half bent over the pool table with Annette's hand shoved in her panties from behind. A perfect sapphic wet dream.

They both drew up short when he made his entrance, both heads turning in his direction with matching looks of alarm that quickly gave way to irritation. Sebastian easily slipped into his jaded asshole demeanor even though he was feeling anything but. "Evening ladies, sorry to interrupt," he called out as he slowly approached them.

"Get out of here Sebastian," Annette snarled. She at least had the decency to remove her hand from his stepsister's panties so there was that.

"Afraid I can't, not without you at least. My aunt is insisting I come fetch you. She's getting ready to make the presentation."

As if on cue, Helen's voice addressing the crowd wafted into the room. Annette's blue eyes went wide in alarm as she looked up at the door. "Shit."

Sebastian watched with mild amusement as the blond scurried to pull herself together, fixing her hair and dress. Kathryn helped as best she could. "You look great."

Nodding Annette took off towards the door only to stop and pivot back around again. She ran back to Kathryn and kissed her extravagantly. Sebastian didn't doubt for a minute it was as much for his benefit as it was for hers. The smirk she sent his way as she passed him confirmed it. "Don't want to piss on her leg?" he called out to her. Annette threw him the finger as she closed the door behind her.

Looking back at his stepsister he found her looking a little dazed, a smile threatening to break out on her face until their eyes met. In a blink her expression shut down. Looking away, she bent down and retrieved her dress. The longer he watched her, the more his resentment began to build. Turning around, noticing him staring she finally snapped, "What?"

Sebastian shrugged. "Nothing."

He came up behind her, fixing the back of her dress. It didn't go unnoticed by him the way her breath became ragged when his fingers tips brushed against her bare back. He was tempted to lean in and kiss that spot on her neck that he knew would make her melt, but he held back, cautious.

Instead he asked, quietly, "So…did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "About last night, about us."

"No, I don't really see the point."

Stepping away from him, she fixed her hair they turned around. Drinking in her cool, unaffected expression he was suddenly hit by the desire to shake her out of her indifference. He resented the way she could be so warm and open with fucking Hargrove and completely shut down with him. Had he had the balls he would have demanded to know why that blond bitch got to have all of her, but he just got crumbs. Since he didn't have the nerve to cough up the words he resorted to his usual tactics. Taking her by the waist, he pulled her into a kiss. Kathryn made a kind of startled gasp, her hands pressing at his chest to push him away. Her reluctance didn't last long. Soon she was kissing him back with equal fervor, her hands sliding up his chest, to grasp him by the back of the head. Sebastian led her back to the pool table, groping her as they went. He started tugging at the straps of her gown when his aunt's voice wafted in from the party, announcing Annette's name.

In a flash it was over. Kathryn shoved him away with a dismissive sneer. "I don't think so."

Trying to swallow his disappointment not to mentions embarrassment he snarled, "But you'll drop your panties for her though?"

"I love her," she replied, chin up defiant.

Sebastian ran a hand down her cleavage and remarked confidently, "And yet you still want me."

"Not anymore." She swatted his hand away. "This is over with." Turning away she circled around the other side of the pool table. "Don't get me wrong Sebastian, it was fun and you're a great lay but where exactly do you see this going? You're my stepbrother for god sakes. If it ever got out it would ruin us both."

"And what, you think you're going to live happily ever after with _her_? I'm sure mommy dearest will love that."

Kathryn wasn't bothered. "You have a point, but I figure we'll lay low until college and then I'm free to do whatever the fuck I please. When my inheritance kicks in I'll no longer have mother on my back and Annette will no longer have her albatross of a father around her neck. Nothings to stop us from as you so quaintly put it, living happily ever after."

Sebastian should have just left it at that, but he was always a glutton for punishment. "And where does that leave us?"

"Us?" Kathryn echoed, a cruel smile on her lips. "Brother dear, there is no _us_. There was a time, I did love you Sebastian and I thought that one day we might…well I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore. You became irrelevant when you chose her over me."

"You set me up. It wasn't real."

"It was real to _you_. You made it clear then you were in love with her and I was, what? The evil stepsister you fucked around with. The girl you lusted after but didn't love. Another trophy to conquer."

"I…" I did love you, he wanted to say, only it was a different kind of love or he didn't recognize it as that. He tried to get the words out, but she was going too fast.

"I read your journal Sebastian, I know exactly what you thought about me. Tell me, has any of that changed?"

"No," he said, but it felt like a lie. His feelings for her were too complicated to be expressed in a few trite words, didn't she get that?

Now standing in front of him, Kathryn placed a hand on his chest. She smiled almost sad. "Face it my love, we're toxic together. There could never be anything between us, we'd cannibalize each other. We're too fucked up to have anything real."

Sebastian swallowed the lump in his throat along with any hope he had of having anything with her beyond that one night. He nodded as Kathryn leaned in, kissed his cheek then walked off.

As the door closed behind her, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in. "Well," he muttered to no one in particular, "I guess that answers that."

* * *

"Congratulations!"

"No one deserves it more girl!"

"We're so proud of you!"

Annette smiled graciously as she was swallowed up by the crowd of well wishers. Truth be told she hadn't a clue who most of these people were. Not that it mattered. Annette had never put much stock in being adored by the masses, she left that sort of ego rubbing bullshit for Kathryn, but she had to admit she didn't hate it.

Coasting on adrenaline and pure fucking elation, she made her way through the crowd, stopping occasionally to glad handle and offer thanks. She keeps her smile humble and her gaze sincere. Inside however she wanted to cackle with glee.

She did it. She fucking did it. All the scheming, the hard work, the sacrifice and here she was, with her hands on the prize. A four year scholarship to the ivy league school of her choosing. It was all hers. Well, technically it was hers after she graduated, but that was a mere technicality. No one could take it away, including her father.

As the crowd thinned out and she was finally able to breath, Annette caught sight of Kathryn across the room watching her. She feared she might catch her frowning or spy some bitter resentment creeping in around the edges of expressionless face, but instead all she saw was a genuine smile of pride. It was enough to momentarily stop her in her tracks. The high and mighty Kathryn Merteuil happy for someone else's victory. Hell must be freezing over. In that moment, all Annette wanted to do was go to her, take her by the face and kiss her long and deep. In front of everyone. It would be a scandal of course. She wondered if Kathryn would really mind.

Of course, she didn't. The money might be a done deal, but nothing was a hundred percent official until she had that fucking diploma in hand so for now at least she was to remain Miss America teen dream or whatever. Later, however, after the party, it would be just them. She'd allow her to take her upstairs and they'd spend the rest of the night fucking their ever loving brains out and laughing about how stupid they'd both been these past few weeks. Maybe tomorrow they'd call in sick, spend the morning eating pancakes (that she wouldn't let her get rid of) then go riding in the afternoon. On the way home in the car they'd discuss their next plan of action. For their future, because now more than ever, Annette was certain they had one.

She was so lost in her thoughts she nearly collided into the chest of the man in front of her. Annette could feel an apology on her lips, when she looked up in the stern face of her father. In that moment, more than anything she wanted to laugh. Instead, she settled for slow, taunting grin.

"Hello daddy." She was as sweet as apple pie, no one would ever suspect her. "Did you enjoy my speech?"

She could practically see him swallow his rage. "Yes, it was very eloquent. Congratulations Annette."

He hugged her and it was as awkward and stilted as one could imagine. He would never have dared had they not had the eyes of half the room on them. Annette quickly exited out of it, sliding past him on her way to the bar. He followed behind. "Have you made up your mind where you're going to attend next year?"

Never let it be said that the man didn't know how to lose gracefully. Annette started to take one of the non-alcoholic options on tap before deciding at the last second to indulge in a glass of champagne, knowing there wasn't a damn thing he could say about it.

Bringing the glass to her lips she smiled easily. "Why, Yale of course. I honestly don't think Mrs. Rosemond would accept anything less."

His scowl deepened as he glanced away, likely in the direction of her benefactress. Annette imagined he was quickly growing to despise her too. Taking a sip of her champagne, she tilted her head and considered him. "I'm curious daddy, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?"

"To lose"

He straightened himself out a little. He was so much taller than her, it used to intimidate her, but now she barely noticed. "I wasn't aware I had."

"Oh, come on, you've spent all these years doing everything in your power to drag me down, box me in, lock me up, stifle anything that might be worthwhile in me. _Just like you did her_." He flinched at that and her smile deepened. "All that effort and I'll still manage to get out from under you. From here on out you have no say in my life. You're officially irrelevant." Annette held up her glass and toasted, "Cheers."

His strong hands flexed at his side, Annette imagined cartoon steam shooting out of his ears. "Are you forgetting, you still have to graduate."

She glanced past him to Helen who was holding court with a couple of tech-CEO's. Catching her eye, she waved and Annette returned it. "I don't foresee that being a problem. Face it Daddy, nothing's standing in my way. Especially you."

With that she started away only to pause and turn back one last time. "Oh, by the way, I think I'm going to be late tonight. You understand. Don't wait up!"

Turning around her sugar sweet smile turned into a triumphant sneer. She had every intention of grabbing Kathryn and dragging her off someplace quiet when once again, someone stepped her in way. "Care to dance?"

It was Sebastian, looking even more serial killer serious than normal. "With you?" she asked, with mock disbelief.

"No with the geriatric leering at you by the stage." he replied dryly.

Annette looked up and sure enough there was some creepy old guy she was sure she spotted on the cover of Fortune once, leering at her. She shuddered. "Pass. On both accounts."

He looked like he was about to object when suddenly Court appeared, smile broad and slimy. "Hey doll, want to dance?"

_Ugh. Fuck my life._ "Oh, I'd love to but unfortunately I promised Sebastian a dance. You understand right?"

By the look on his face he clearly didn't, but he wasn't about to cause a scene at one of the biggest parties of the season with the girl of the hour. "Uh, yeah, sure, but I'm next right?"

"Of course."

It said a lot about how odious she found Court that she was willing to let Sebastian touch her in order to avoid him. Sebastian led her out onto the dance floor an obnoxious gloating smile covering his face. "Not a word dipshit."

He chuckled under his breath. "Enjoying your date I see. I suppose I shouldn't be too flattered you enjoy my company over that fucking mouth breather."

"You were the lesser of two evils," she sighed, her bored gaze on the other partygoers. She wondered where Kathryn was. "What do you want?"

"Must we always have an agenda?" Annette met his gaze, staring him down hard until he let out a short, harsh laugh. "I wanted to congratulate you. It would seem all your hard work and scheming paid off. You not only secured Yale, but Kathryn as well."

Hearing her name on his lips, she stiffened briefly and considered walking away. She was getting the distinct impression she was walking into something. "Thank you," she replied carefully.

"I have to admit though, I was surprised to see you two made up. Weren't you the one who said you were afraid she'd eat you alive given the opportunity?"

Annette remembered that confession to him and instantly regretted it. She should have remembered, everything she said to him had the potential to be weaponized. "Maybe I decided I wouldn't mind. Either way it's not really your concern anymore."

A smirk spread across his face, as if he knew something she didn't. "Fair enough. Well since we're being all cordial and shit, I feel I owe it to you to make a confession." Sebastian leaned in until his lips were hovering at her ear and whispered, "I never slept with Kathryn that night."

Annette jerked back from him. "What?"

He shrugged. "We didn't fuck that night. She passed out in my bed right after she stripped off her dress. I just tucked her in and texted you to come over and you two and your trust issues did the rest."

Suddenly she was having trouble breathing. Honestly, she didn't know whether to be elated or angry. For the moment she landed on furious. "You son of a bitch," she spat.

Annette tried to pull away from him only for him to yank her back, pulling her closer. Sebastian kept his tone even but lethal. "Not that she wasn't begging for it, but comatose women aren't really my thing. Last night however…she was wide awake and very, _very_ enthusiastic."

She stilled. "Last night?"

The shit eating grin on his face told her everything she needed to know. It was revolting. Clearly relishing every second of this he asked with mock surprise, "She didn't tell you?"

Annette could feel the bottom fall out from under her, like that feeling when the rollercoaster started to plummet. She hated that feeling. "You're lying," she remarked, although she knew it was just a pathetic reach for an excuse.

He just smiled then pulled back the collar of his dress shirt, exposing a red, bruised bite mark. It of course, could have been from anyone, but she recognized those indentures. It was Kathryn's signature. _Jesus Christ_. "Look familiar?" he taunted. "I must say she more than lived up to the hype. I now understand why you're so cunt struck by her. Completely insatiable and—"

"Enough," she ordered tersely.

Sebastian smiled, lazy and mean. "Oh, come on you didn't actually buy that heartfelt speech of hers, did you? I'm disappointed Hargrove, I thought you were smarter than that. I mean even Darcy knew when she was being played."

If he was hoping to see her get upset or god forbid cry, he would be sorely disappointed. She'd sooner die than give him the satisfaction. Remaining stoic, and emotionless, she studied his face, searching out a tell. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Why do you think?" He leaned in again, his expression darkening as he hissed, "Nothing brings me greater pleasure than watching you two tare each other apart."

While she didn't doubt that Annette suspected something else was at play. Remembering the look on his face when he found them earlier in the billiards room, it suddenly hit her. She nearly laughed. "I don't think so, this is personal. You want her for yourself don't you? Ever since I told you about her feelings for you it's been eating at you and now, after last night…What, are you in love with her or something?"

She saw the answer on his face before he even opened his mouth. That sharp flash of panic in his eyes was a dead giveaway, but he wasn't going to own up to anything. "I feel nothing for my darling stepsister but loathing and disgust. She was an itch that needed to be scratched and now that that's taken care of, I can finish destroying the bitch. Unlike you I already learned my lesson where Kathryn is concerned."

"Oh, and what lesson is that?"

Sebastian stilled, his intense gaze boring into hers he intoned, "That we're toxic together and Kathryn is far too fucked up to have anything real. With anyone. I'd think you of all people would have realized that by now."

* * *

"That was a great evening, wasn't it?"

Kathryn forced a smile, but it was halfhearted at best as she regarded her date. The fucked up thing of it was she actually liked Jack. And Kathryn didn't honestly like anyone. Outside of being a handsome mother fucker, he was smart and unexpected and a good conversationalist. He knew when to stay close and when to make himself scarce. He didn't smother her, but he didn't ogle other women either. He was a perfect date.

It was such a shame he was wasting all that on a girl in love with someone else.

The party was wrapping up, with people making their goodbye's as they slowly filed out. Having just retrieved his coat they stood on the foot on the staircase, away from the crush of the crowd. Helping him with the lapel of his coat she told him, "I had a nice evening Jack, thank you."

He winced a little then smiled. "Hmm, I take it then you don't want to go to Philip party?"

Philip Blackwater was hosting an after party in the city, despite the fact that it would be after midnight by the time everyone arrived and it was a school night. Most of the school would be attending, but not Kathryn. "I'm sorry, but I have a headache, not to mention I have an early meeting for student government in the morning," she lied. "I should go to bed."

"It's cool, I should probably skip it as well. Ring check?"

"Of course."

They said their goodbyes, with him promising to call her the next day. For once Kathryn actually felt a little guilty for stringing someone along. She'd have to find a good way to let him down gently.

At the moment however, she had more pressing matters on her mind. Namely finding Annette. They hadn't spoken since she left the billiards room and Kathryn was starting to get the distinct impression she was being intentionally ignored. At first, she just thought Hargrove was being careful, but all evening she barely looked at her and when they did make eye contact, she stared at her like she was a stranger. Something was going on with her.

Unable to locate her in the crowd, Kathryn climbed the staircase so she could observe the party from the second story landing. As she searched the crowd, her anxiety grew with every passing minute. Annette wouldn't have left without telling her, right? She was about to give up and go have a second look on the main floor when she spotted the blond coming right towards her. She didn't smile at her, in fact she seemed to look right through her. _What the fuck?_

When it appeared she was going to walk right past her without a word, Kathryn reached out and grasped her arm. "Um, hello?"

Annette let out a long sigh. "What?"

She flinched at how harsh that one word sounded. "I've been trying to get you alone all night."

"I've been busy."

"Yeah I noticed. Well, are you going to stay?"

A ghost of a smile crossed Annette's face. "Why would I do that?" she asked before turning away.

Kathryn watched her retreating back stunned. Quickly she reached out and grabbed her arm again. "I thought we were—"

"You thought wrong." Annette pointedly removed her hand from her arm. "Tell me something Kathryn, did you honestly think I wouldn't find out?"

"Fine out what?"

"Oh, come on, you're smarter than that…"

She was about to argue, that no she had no idea what she was talking about when she caught the sharp, hurt look in her eyes. _Shit_. Kathryn took a deep shaky breath. Fucking Sebastian, and his big mouth. "Annette, it didn't mean anything."

The blonde let out a harsh laugh. "I'm sure it didn't. I get it, I truly do. You felt so guilty about what you did to me, you had no choice to find comfort on your brother's dick." Kathryn winced and did a quick look about to ensure no one had heard that particular nasty allegation. Annette, taking note of her tone, asked quietly, "That text you sent me, was that part of some joke between you two?"

"No, it wasn't like that."

Annette looked far from convinced. Giving her an unimpressed once over she remarked, "I'm curious, was anything in that little speech of yours true? Do you even know when you're lying anymore?" She shook her head bitterly. "God, I'm such a fucking idiot. I wanted so much to believe you, for things to go back to how they were this summer…"

"So do I and they can," she insisted. "We're so close Annette, don't let him come between us again."

"I'm starting to realize he's not the problem. Face it Kathryn, you and me, we're toxic together and you…well you're too fucked up to have anything real."

Hearing those words spit back at her left Kathryn feeling shell shocked. So much so she barely noticed when Court was suddenly beside them, smiling smugly down at Annette. "Hey beautiful, ready to go? I was thinking maybe we continue on this party someplace more…private."

The invitation was clearly for her benefit, but Annette accepted it all the same. "Sure, that sounds great." Looking back at her with a phony grin she told her, "Have a good night Kathryn."

She watched them descend the stairs and disappear into the crowd of people leaving the house. Kathryn felt a wave of nausea try to push its way up her throat. How had this night gone so horribly wrong, so fucking quickly?

"Well that was truly…pathetic." Her eyes shut briefly at the sound of her stepbrother's arrogant drawl coming from behind her. She turned as he walked past looking very pleased with himself indeed. "Look at the bright side sis, at least this time you weren't dumped for the innocent twit."

Sebastian started down the stairs when Kathryn reached out and grabbed his arm. She demanded just one thing, "Why?"

He smiled back at her, but it didn't meet his eyes. "Misery loves company baby."


	23. The After Party

**Chapter 22: The After Party**

* * *

It took only ten minutes alone in a car with Court for Annette to realize she made a big fucking mistake. Ever since they left the Rosemond property, he had been bitching non-stop about Kathryn. _She was such a bitch and a liar too. And by the way, did she know she was bulimic?_ _She's a total headcase, you need to steer clear._

Christ, just murder her already.

If Annette didn't know better, she might have started to suspect that Court was still hung up on his ex. However, it was becoming woefully apparent the more he rambled, that Reynolds wasn't capable of complex emotion beyond what he wanted for dinner. No, instead his ire likely stemmed from whatever it was Kathryn was holding over his head. She made a mental note to ask her about it only to remember…oh wait she couldn't.

Annette was staring out the window blankly at the passing scenery, trying to tune out her date when she noticed something wasn't right. She had made the trip from Long Island to Manchester enough times to know the journey by heart. They were going the wrong way.

She cut off his rant. "Uh Court, where are we going?"

He flashed her a grin she was sure many of her dipshit female peers found charming. "We're going to celebrate right? I know just the place. Quiet, secluded. It's perfect."

"Great." Annette felt her stomach fill with dread.

Luckily, she wasn't kept in suspense for long. When the Lexus turned onto a narrow gravel road, the smell of the ocean began to fill her nostrils. Court pulled up onto the beach. As it was nearing one in the morning and it was October the beach was completely desolate. Glancing around Annette stared at the giant mansions in the distance that sat on the bluffs overlooking the beach. They, along with the full moon were the only sources of light. _Freaking wonderful_.

Annette could already see where this all was going and tried to formulate an escape plan. She could more than handle herself if Court got rough, four years of self-defense had seen to that. However, she knew all too well how that sort of thing could follow a girl around and her reputation was currently at a crucial juncture. She couldn't afford any black marks against her.

"It's nice right?"

He was so proud of himself she wanted to vomit. "Mmm, hmm," she hummed in agreement.

Court turned on the radio, something soft and ethereal, clearly not his style. She imagined him pre-programming radio stations as he prepped for tonight and had to stifle a snicker. Ten to one there were condoms in the glove compartment. Leaning over the console he took her face in his hands and told her earnestly, "You're so beautiful."

Before she even had a chance to roll her eyes at his cheesiness, Court leaned in and kissed her. Annette allowed it. As far as kisses go it wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about. Once again, she wondered how Kathryn dealt with all this mediocrity for so long.

It didn't take long for Court's grasp to extend his reach. Literally. The fucker not so subtly shoved his hand under her dress. Annette immediately pushed him away. "Court stop," she ordered primly.

He frowned before quickly covering it with yet another dimpled grin. "Sorry, but I can't help it. You look so sexy tonight."

Jesus Christ could this be any more cliché?

"I think I need to be getting home," she stated flatly. "It's late."

"Yeah right."

He was on her again in a flash, this time his hands were even more aggressive. Annette squirmed away and when he didn't get the hint, she gave him a hard shove. "Get off me. Court, I'm not that kind of girl. Take me home," she demanded sharply.

His charming grin vanished, replaced by an ugly sneer. "Oh, come on. Everyone knows you gave it up to Sebastian. Now I've been a perfect gentleman all evening. I think that entitles me to a few rights." _Good god, what decade was this Neanderthal raised in_, she wondered as she glared at him stonily. Court, not knowing when to quit, continued, "I mean, that prick tease routine my fly in Kentucky or wherever you're from, but you're in Manhattan now sweetie. You need to learn the rules."

Well, that settles it.

Annette calmly looked out at the dark water and considered her options. She supposed she could make a dramatic exit from the car, head to the main road and call an uber or something. However, she didn't have a clue where she was, and she wasn't exactly dying to wait around on a dark, quiet road in the middle of the night by herself. Pass. That left running out of the car and knocking on the door of one of those big mansions, asking for help. That seemed a touch too dramatic

I guess option three it is then.

Turning back to her date, Annette's scowl morphed into a seductive, knowing grin. Reaching over she placed a hand on his knee. "Maybe you can teach me."

Court's irritation disappeared in a flash. With a lewd smirk he leaned over her, hand already slipping around her waist. "That's more like it."

He moved in to kiss her, but Annette pushed him back. "I want to go swimming."

"Now?" He looked out at the ocean. "Uh, it's a little cold don't you think?"

"Ah, come on," she purred placing a hand on his dick. Even half hard he was still pretty big. _Huh_. "Time to sack up city boy." She gave him a squeeze and taunted, "Come on, I thought you were going to teach me the rules?"

She watched amused as he swallowed thickly, wetting his lips as he trembled in excitement. Knowing she had him dangling on the hook, Annette released his cock then slipped out of the car. They had been having a warm fall so far, but being so close to the water there was a definite chill in the air. Ignoring it, Annette stood in front of the car, well aware he was watching her as she confidently stripped out of her designer ball gown. He was out of the car before her dress hit the sand.

As she watched him prowl towards her, she remembered Kathryn once telling her how turned on Court would get when she got sexually aggressive with her. _"He was so into it until he shot his load. Then I was just some dirty slut to him."_ Fucking asshole. She imagined he would act the same way with her if she gave him what he wanted.

He didn't hesitate to start whipping off his clothes—first his suit jacket, followed by his pressed white shirt. When he got down to his undershirt he began to tremble, hesitancy showing on his face. "Shit, it's cold."

"Don't be a pussy Reynolds," she snarled at him.

He flinched at the insult. She wondered if she reminded him of Kathryn. She wondered if it turned him on. Probably. Court began taking off his clothes quicker. Annette grinned. "Show me what you got stud."

Turning her back on him she walked to the water, removing her bra. Moments later he came running by her on the way to the water. Annette watched with a satisfied grin as he dove into the icy water yelling, "Last one in is a chicken shit!"

Court emerged from the water with a triumphant yelp. "Woah! Come on in baby."

"Just a minute," she yelled back. "I'm going to grab some protection first!"

Turning around Annette grabbed her clothes, along with Court's, fishing the car keys out of his pants pocket. Hopping into the driver's seat she threw the clothes onto the passenger's side and gunned the engine. Vaguely she could hear Court call something out to her from the water. Smiling, she threw him the finger, hit the clutch, and drove the hell out of there.

_Adios motherfucker._

* * *

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Kathryn smiled at the concern. "I'm good." If she was another sort of girl, she might have felt a pang of guilt for lying to her date, but alas she wasn't that girl. The truth was she felt nothing at all. Nothing pleasant anyway.

After Annette ditched her at the party to go 'celebrate' with Court, Kathryn knew she had to do something. She considered spending the night cozying up to Aunt Helen's collection of vintage scotch however the thought of spending the night alone with only her dark thoughts felt too depressing for words. So, she tracked down Jack and told him she changed her mind. He had been so ecstatic he hadn't questioned her change of heart.

The party was being hosted by Philip Blackwater, a senior she once gave head to at cotillion. It was in Tribeca, in a newly constructed skyscraper filled with luxury apartments, ultra-modern, all glass and chrome and open concept. It was a big space, but crammed to the gills with classmates, NYU students, models, influencers. Kathryn was so bored with it she could scream.

Marcus, pulled her along, stopping occasionally to chat with people. When he put a drink in her hand, she downed it in one gulp. It might as well have been water. Kathryn searched the crowd, wondering if perhaps Annette was there, but knowing she wasn't. Still she couldn't help herself. When she spotted Shiv at the bar, she asked about her whereabouts only to receive a snotty answer in return. So, fucking helpful.

Jack was talking to her and she was pretending to listen when she noticed Sebastian across the room, huddled in the corner with some peroxide blonde she'd seen on Instagram. No doubt he was pulling his usual bullshit charm routine on her and she in turn appeared to be eating it up with a spoon, all big eyes and smiles. When he looked away briefly and noticed her, his easy smirk vanished. His eyes got hard and he glared stonily at her for a long beat before turning his attention back on his bimbo. Kathryn felt a chill course through her body, though she didn't know why. Why was he glaring at her like he was the injured party? She was the one he screwed over. _Misery loves company?_ Fuck off asshole.

Suddenly Kathryn needed to get out of there now. Grabbing Jack's arm, she dragged him away from his conversation. "What's up?" he whispered against her ear his voice laced with concern. It rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't want nice.

"I'm bored." She flashed him a flirty smile as she led him back to what she presumed were bedrooms. "Think you can help me out with that?"

He grinned and maybe even blushed. Kathryn felt a rush of adrenaline when she saw that flash of desire in his eyes. She was going to fuck that niceness right out of him if it was the last thing she did.

They ended up in what she could only assume was the master bedroom, based on the size of it. Kathryn absently wondered where Philips parents were as she locked the door behind them and launched herself at Jack. They ended up on the bed, making out hard. Jack was a phenomenal kisser and his hands, big and strong, feel good on her body. Even so, she wished he'd ditch the gentleman act and just maul her already.

And oh god, the rumors of his infamous package were certainly not exaggerated. Kathryn could feel his sizeable erection pressing into her hip, egging her on. Foregoing the lady like bullshit, she reached down and grasped it, moaning into his mouth when she felt the weight of it. This was just what she needed to make herself feel better. Kathryn unzipped his pants but before she could get the snake monster out of its cage, Jack pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he panted rolling onto his back. "But I can't."

Kathryn stared at him stunned. She could feel herself wanting to go off on him, but she tempered it down, not wanting to scare him off with her true colors. Instead, she went for vulnerable and hurt. If she had to guilt him into sex she would. Her shame was currently on vacation.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered weakly, averting his eyes. "Did I come on too strong?"

"No of course not. It's not that."

"Am I not pretty enough? Sexy enough?" _Jesus Christ_. Kill her now.

He let out a short laugh and gestured towards his comically tented pants. "Clearly that's not the problem. Trust me Kathryn, I very much want you. You have no idea how bad I want this."

"Is it Court?"

He shook his head, eyes on the ceiling. "I could give a shit about Court at the moment."

"Then what is it then?" she finally snapped. She couldn't take much more of this. All she wanted was to get laid, was that too much to ask for? "I feel like you're sending me some pretty mixed signals Jack. All evening you've been flirting with me, you ask me to come to this party with you and as soon as we're alone you're pushing me away. What gives? Do you not like me?"

"No, that's the problem, I like you too much." Jack released a deep breath before finally looking at her. There was an unknown emotion in his eyes. "This is not how I wanted to tell you this, but uh…Kathryn I've been in love with you since the ninth grade."

She sat up abruptly. "Come again?"

Jack turned his gaze back on her, his expression was absolutely neutral. He wasn't embarrassed or nervous or even anxious. If anything, he was completely calm as he spoke about his love for her like he was discussing the weather. "I love you. I know it might come as a surprise to you. I've never been very good with my feelings, especially romantic ones. I was content to worship you from afar for awhile, but then you started dating Court, well I couldn't very well steal you away from my best friend. So, I tried to avoid you. Court just assumed I didn't like you. When you two broke up this summer, I was so thrilled I cut my trip to Carmel short to come back just so I could pursue you myself, but, whenever I tried to hit you up, you weren't home or were busy. In a way I was grateful, it gave me time to assess the situation. Then you asked me out and, well, I thought I blew it after that first date…I'm sorry. I know this is a lot."

_Seriously. What. The. Fuck?_

"I, um, need a drink." Kathryn got up from the bed, needing to put distance between her and this increasingly odd situation. She stumbled over to the wet bar in the corner of the room and fixed herself a scotch.

Jack, looking like some kind of playgirl wet dream, in his unbuttoned shirt and attractive bulge, got to his feet, but stayed on his side of the room, as if he sensed she was some kind of wounded animal who might attack. "Shit. This wasn't how I wanted to tell you. I swear, I know I must sound like some kind of psycho stalker—"

"No, it's not that." Kathryn sighed, drink in her hand. "Look Jack, you're very sweet, but the truth is you have no idea who I really am."

A sharper, knowing look flashed in his eyes as he smiled almost gently. "Kathryn, Court is my best friend…and he's not exactly a closed book."

"Oh"

"I know about the bulimia and the cocaine in the crucifix. I know how you sent Rebecca Green, that Mennonite transfer student, up with cocaine after she stole French club president out from under you. I know you cheated on Court with the guidance counsellor, that you framed Mr. Woodhouse for solicitation after he got handsy with you. I know what you did to Cecile Caldwell. So, you see I know exactly what you're capable of. It doesn't bother me. On the contrary, you're smart and you're sexy and you're ambitious and Court is the world's biggest moron for letting you go."

Kathryn stared at him for one long beat, taking this all in. Then she finished off her drink in one gulp. Had it been anyone else she might have laughed at him, but there was something about Jack's balls out delivery of all her sins, and the casual way he brought them up, as if he really didn't judge her, that she found so intriguing. That said, he couldn't have brought all this out at a worse time.

Setting her glass down, she slowly crossed the room to him. "Jack, you're very sweet—"

He grimaced. "You _hate_ sweet."

Kathryn paused and smiled. "I do…but I don't hate you. Truth is I find you rather intriguing. Outside of your terrible taste in friends, you're smart and handsome, you're hung like a horse and you appear to have an appreciation of complicated women. However—"

"However, you're already involved with someone." She felt her breath catch. Maybe he really was some kind of stalker. Her brief panic must have shown on her face as he laughed, "Don't worry, I don't know all your secrets, but I can sense you're distracted."

She sighed. "That's a nice word for it. To be honest Jack, my life is a bit of a mess right now."

He shrugged, unbothered. "It's okay I can wait. I'm a patient guy and I've waited for you for this long."

Jack started to redress, fixing his pants, buttoning his shirt. Kathryn quickly crossed over to him in an effort to put an end to it. "Hold up, just because I'm not ready to run off and elope doesn't mean we can't finish what we started."

He gently pried her hands from his shirt and smiled reassuringly at her. Then, showing that he truly did get her he told her, "This isn't a rejection. However, I want the first time we go to bed, even if that's all it is, to be special or at least something better than a quick fuck in an anonymous bedroom with half the school on the other side of the room."

This would be the point normally when Kathryn would scream at him, attack his manhood, maybe even throw something. But something about Jack's calm, cool nature, put her at ease. She said nothing as he leaned in and placed a chaste on the mouth. "Do you want me to take you home now?"

She shook her head. "It's okay, I'm going to stay for a little while. I'll have Sebastian drive me home." _Yeah, like that was bloody likely_.

"You sure? I don't mind hanging out."

"No, I'll be fine. I'll call you tomorrow Jack."

He gave her one last grin as he squeezed her arm and took his leave. Alone, Kathryn rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She felt exhausted. As lovely as it was to know there might be a person out there who actually appreciated and cared for the real her, it was also kind of the last thing she needed right now.

"Jesus Christ, what does a girl need to do to get laid around here?" she asked aloud.

She wandered over to the bathroom, her mind relaying the conversation that just transpired as she used the facilities. Afterwards she began examining the contents of the medicine cabinet, more out of habit than anything else. Apparently, Philip's mother had quite the thing for pharmaceuticals. "A woman after my own heart."

Kathryn began sorting through her collection, before playfully playing a game of eeny meeny, miny, moe with an assortment of little orange bottles, before landing on one. She didn't bother to see what she was taking before emptying some into her hand. Smiling at the little white pills she tossed them back with a satisfied grin.

"Bottoms up."

* * *

"…But I'm really hoping to parlay that into acting."

Sebastian hummed absently in response to the model/actress/influencer in front of him currently sucking all the oxygen out of the room. She was gorgeous, naturally, all sun kissed skin, like she permanently summers on a yacht off the Pacific, which given the quick scroll of her Instagram he did upon spotting her, was quite possible.

Anyway, Sebastian for whatever reason thought chatting up this chick (whose name he wanted to say was Celeste/Selena/Serena) about her career prospects would somehow be more entertaining that it was currently turning out to be. No surprise. That's what he gets for having a hard on for big tits and girls who seem more damaged than himself.

As what's-her-face prattled on, he tried to focus on her inane words instead of what he really wanted to concentrate on. His gaze shifted to the bedroom his stepsister and her date disappeared into an hour ago. Mr. All-American and his wonder schlong, exited not long after. Either he was a one pump chump or they didn't fuck. It annoyed him how much pleasure he wrought from this.

_Stop obsessing. It's boring_.

Why did his inner voice lately sound more and more like his sisters' melodic drawl? How irritating. As if proving a point, he purposely turned in the other direction, so his back was now to the bedroom. Out of sight out of mind or something.

"My goal this month is to get up to 500,000 followers," she told him, beaming with pride.

Christ, he fucking hated his life. "I like an ambitious woman," he told her with little to no emotion.

Even when he could barely be bothered to try, he's still better than most. She smiled, big and broad and Sebastian could practically see her mentally weighing the pros and cons of going to bed with him. She knew his reputation of course. At best he would fuck her and never call again. At worst…their bedroom shenanigans would wind up on TMZ and goodbye all that sweet sponsorship money. Decisions, decisions…

"Wanna see the new tattoo I got?" She moved in close, giving him a prime view down her shirt at her braless tits as she pulled the material away from her waist to show him a frog sitting on a lily pad. It could be worse. It could be some cliched badly translated Chinese symbol.

"Cute. This might be the first time I've ever wanted to be an amphibian."

It's all so easy he started to tune her out again. This time his attention got caught outside. He could see the balcony to one of the bedrooms through the floor to ceiling windows. It was dark, but the city lights were bright enough to illuminate the figure balancing on the edge of the stone railing. Whomever it was either had a death wish or was extremely drunk. They walking the ledge like it was some kind of balance beam and they were at least forty stories up. This was potentially about to become very messy, he thought, watching the tottering figure with detached bemusement. She was clearly female, going by the outline of her figure in the black dress and the cut of her—

"Oh shit."

Sebastian's heart caught in his throat as he recognized that drunk idiot. For a whopping ten seconds he was frozen on the spot. "What is it?" laughed the blonde in front on him who no longer represented a person so much as a talking obstruction.

He blinked at her, knowing if he said anything it would have the potential to make a scene. Sebastian glanced at his mostly empty drink. "Um…I'm out of scotch. Be right back."

He was dodging around partygoers before he could hear her reply. Luckily, everyone was too wrapped up in their own thing to pay much notice of his frantic rush to the back bedrooms. Sebastian threw open doors, the first one empty, but no balcony, the second had a couple getting ready to fuck on the bed. On the third he found it open, along with the balcony doors. Sure enough, there was his step-sister doing her drunk Simone Biles beam routine.

Even though his brain was consumed by panic, Sebastian was rational enough to recognize he couldn't rush her. Instead, he approached her in the same way one might a cornered, possibly dangerous animal—slowly and cautiously. "Hey sis," he called out quietly. "What the fuck?"

Kathryn's head swiveled in his direction. The lazy grin and glazed look in her eyes, told him everything he needed to know about her state of mind. "Evening brother dearest," she cooed.

"Get down from there"

Her smile widened. "Fuck off. I'm fine. I'm on top of the world." To illustrate her point, she outstretched her hands and balanced on her toes.

"That's very cute, now let's go." Sebastian could feel the cold sweat on the back of his neck, hear the pound of his heart over the city noise. He tried to grab her hand only to have her turn away laughing. He was afraid if he made a grab for her, she'd lunge in the other direction. Sebastian tried not to think of that. Growing increasingly anxious he demanded, "Get off the ledge Kathryn, before you fall."

She laughed at him again. He knew full well there was no reasoning with her when she was like this. "If I fell would you save me?" she simpered before letting out a short bark of laugher. "Not bloody—"

Sebastian finally got up the nerve and grabbed her from around the waist and tugged her off. Their weight combined with her bucking against him, caused them to topple to the hard cement balcony. Kathryn laughed. He did not. "Way to go Superman," she slurred pushing off of his chest. "No upper body strength. Pathetic."

"Yes, almost as pathetic as trying to do a swine dive in _Tribeca_." Sebastian managed to get to his feet, pulling her up along with him. He needed to get her off the fucking balcony. "Imagine the headlines, drunk Upper East Side heiress goes splat. What dignity."

"Eat shit. I'm fine."

"Oh right, you look it," he sniped, dragging her back inside. "You can't even stand up on your own. What are you on anyway?"

Kathryn pushed him away and staggered to the bed. "What do you care? Get lost." Her attempts to sound haughty just made her sound like a pouty little girl. He might have felt affectionate towards her if he didn't dearly wish to strangle her at the moment.

Sebastian stood over the bed awkwardly as Kathryn climbed into it, pulling off her dress as she did. Christ, he had a feeling where this was going. He had way too much experience with drugged out Kathryn not to. He sighed. "What are you doing? Put your dress back on, I'm taking you home." Miss Five hundred thousand subscribers was going to have to wait.

She shook her head, her smile taunting. "I'm not going anywhere." In a flash her gaze went from surly to seductive as she turned it on him. "I want to fuck."

"Yeah?" he asked without emotion. "Well I want to be president of the world. Now come on, let's go."

Kathryn however wouldn't be swayed. She crawled to the edge of the bed (well wobbled really) wearing the same scrap of black lace bra and panties he found her in earlier. Practically crawling up his torso, she tugged him to her. "Come on," she cooed, her hand grabbing at his crotch. "I'll let you stick it in my ass this time."

"Jesus Christ," he groaned, staring up at the ceiling. "We're not doing this."

"Oh, I think we are." She laughed, jerking him off through his pants. "You're hard for me," she taunted. "You're always hard for me. Even when you hate me. My personal fuck toy."

That did it. Sebastian shoved her away gruffly. "Knock it off." Honestly, he was so irritated with her in that moment, he had half a mind to walk out and leave her to her fate. But he knew he couldn't. Sebastian didn't even want to think about the trouble she could get herself into in this state. He had every intention of locking her in that room until she slept it off, but Kathryn had other ideas.

"Stop being such a pussy." She grabbed him by the arm and tugged him back into the bed.

"Kathryn, get off"

Ignoring his orders, she straddled him, then attacked his mouth. He could taste the scotch on her tongue. Despite himself, Sebastian kissed her back before remembering he was about to give in to a drunk lunatic. He fought her off and as he did so he could swear he heard the door behind them open. Sebastian jerked back. The door was open a hair, but no one was there. Before he could contemplate the idea that they may have been spotted, Kathryn was back at it, her hands aggressively tugging at his clothes, the sharp bite of her manicured nails nicking his bare skin. He grabbed at her wrists. "Stop. It."

When she continued to ignore him, he rolled her off and pinned her to the mattress. She fought him, struggling under his grip before biting his hand. Sebastian immediately released her. "Ow! Jesus." For a split second he had to resist the urge to slap her. She grinned unrepentedly back at him.

"I'm out of here," he grumbled. Sebastian started off the bed, only for her to pop back up and tug him back. They began wrestling around with each other playfully, but not. Rolling around with her, half dressed, he could feel himself get hard, which was the last fucking thing he needed in that moment. Frustrated, he shoved her back and demanded, "What is your problem?"

"Why can't you just love me, like you did her?"

The question landed with a silent thud. Sebastian felt as if he had just been punched in the gut. "What?"

Kathryn shook her head then twisted on to her stomach. Voice muffled in the duvet she warbled, "Never mind, forget it."

He let out a disbelieving snort. "Yeah, not likely." Grabbing her arm he turned her back around demanding, "What did you mean by that Kathryn? Kathryn?"

Her eyes fluttered closed and she mumbled something incoherent. Suddenly all thoughts of getting clarification on her question vanished. "Kathryn?! Kathryn wake up!"

He gave her a rough shake to no avail. She had completely passed out. "Kathryn come on!" His voice sounded high pitched and frantic even to his own ears. He waited for her to mumble something about him being a pussy, but nothing. He slapped her, the sound echoing in the suddenly very silent room, but nothing. Leaning in he put his head down close to her face and listened. She was breathing weird.

Slowly he pulled back realizing they were in real trouble here. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

* * *

"Oh my god, you're here!"

Annette heard Shiv before she spotted her. Pushing past a hipster Brooklynite in a suede jacket with fringe down the arms, she found her standing by the make-shift bar, arms outstretched like a model on a gameshow. Annette smiled wearily as she was embraced in a full body hug. Someone was buzzed.

"Hey Shiv, you look great." She had changed into the shorter, cocktail version of what she wore earlier. "Where's Ronald?"

Siobhan gave a dramatic eyeroll. "He went home, something about early rehearsal. So annoying. I'm all for a man dedicated to his passions, but—"

As she rambled on about all the ways she hoped to improve Ronald, Annette tuned her out, while her gaze swept through the party, searching out that familiar mahogany blow-out. _Knock it off_, she told herself. _Don't go there_.

"Where's Court?"

"Probably looking for his pants in the sand," she replied dryly.

Shiv's eyebrows rose and her eyes flashed with interest. "Now that sounds like a story I have to hear."

"I'll tell you later." Annette reached past her for a bottle of beer sitting in an ice bowl on the counter.

"The party was amazing, even without Rihanna. There's no way you'll lose the election now." Annette wasn't so confident but nodded along, distracted. "This has got to be killing princess Merteuil. What did she want to talk to you about earlier anyway?"

"It was nothing"

"It had to be something if she sent her number one boot licker after you. She was asking about you earlier."

Annette snapped to attention. "When?"

"I don't know, a little while ago."

"Wait, is she here?" When Shiv merely shrugged, Annette grabbed her arm demanding, "Shiv, what did she want?"

"I don't know, shit. She was just asking if you were here. What's the big deal?"

"It's nothing."

But somehow it wasn't nothing. Turning away from her friend, she began wandering the party, her mind going a mile a minute. Had she been too impulsive breaking things off with her like she had? She never should have let that ratfucker Sebastian mess with her head. Again. They were so close to getting things back on track and she had to let her fucking pride screw it up again.

With adrenaline coursing through her, she began scouring the party, asking a few randoms if they had seen her only to be met with indifferent shrugs. When she noticed a few people heading back to the bedrooms she followed. Annette began throwing open doors. The first two were empty, the third and fourth were occupied by couples mid coitus. Door number three featured the central tackle on the football team getting blown by the lacrosse team captain. Behind door four the student body president was half naked, making out furiously with her stepbrother. Annette's heart sank.

Standing in the doorway like a pathetic loser, she had to stop herself from interrupting them. As much as she wanted to tear into her at the moment there was no way she'd give either of them the satisfaction. Annette closed the door and turned to find Shiv standing behind her. Judging by the triumphant smile she was wearing she guessed she had spotted them too. "Holy fucking shit," she exclaimed, practically breathless with excitement.

For once Annette didn't give a shit about protecting Kathryn. She needed to get the hell out of there. She needed air. Brushing past her friend she headed for the nearest exit which turned out to be the back stairwell. She began to pace the small landing area in small circles as she struggled to breath. Annette felt as if she couldn't get enough oxygen to her lungs. The door opened behind her and Shiv followed her out, talking a mile a minute.

"Oh my god! This is it! We finally have that bitch red handed. Just wait until everyone finds out that Little Miss Perfect is a _brother fucker_. They'll crucify her!" She laughed sounding uncharacteristically giggly. "Wait, did you know about this?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Why didn't you say anything? We could have had this election wrapped up weeks ago!"

Why didn't she say anything? Why did she allow herself to be led around by that fucking conniving bitch? And why the hell had she gone and given her heart to her?

It was with that thought Annette finally lost it.

Hands fisted at her side, she let out an unholy howl. She felt as if she had been holding it in for hours, days, years. Everything she had been feelings and repressing suddenly exploded in one furious moment. Charging at the wall she began attacking the nearest object which happened to be an innocent, radiator. She wailed on the thing, kicking at it as she screamed, "You mother fucking piece of shit! You stupid fucking asshole! I fucking hate you. I hate you!"

She screamed and kicked and punched the wall until her hands ached and her throat was raw. Still she didn't stop. Not until she was forced to.

Siobhan came up behind her and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Enough," she ordered with a quiet firmness. "That's enough you're going to hurt yourself."

Annette went still, panting harshly in her arms as everything came back into focus. When Shiv turned her around she let her. Wiping the hair out of her face, she eyed her with concern. "So, which one of them are you in love with?"

She sighed. "The less obvious one."

* * *

It was nearing 4 am when the town car pulled up to the Valmont residence. Staring up at the gothic looking structure Sebastian let out a tired sigh. "We're here," he murmured against his stepsister's temple.

Kathryn, who had been dozing on his shoulder most of the way home, stirred awake. Her make-up had been long scrubbed off and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Between that and the oversized sweatshirt she wore, she looked frighteningly young. Sebastian slipped his hand into hers and helped her out of the car.

"You need any help?" Blaine asked, concern replacing his normal sardonic smirk. He remained in the car as if he wasn't sure he was welcomed or not.

"No, it's okay Blaine, I got her." He closed the car door then leaned into the window. "Thanks a lot. I'm sorry about earlier."

The bleached blonde shrugged handing over a plastic bag of the clothes Kathryn wore earlier. "It's fine. I probably had it coming. I'm just glad she's alright."

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah me too. I'll see you at school?"

"Yeah"

After the awkward goodbye, he turned away and tapped on the hood of the car signaling the driver it was okay to take off. Turning back to his stepsister he found her shivering in the cold, looking small and vulnerable in the too big track suit Blaine has procured from the hospital gift shop. Sebastian wrapped an arm around her and Kathryn slumped against him, allowing him to guide her inside. They didn't say a word to each other as they entered the small elevator.

This was officially the longest goddamn day of Sebastian's life. It seemed like another lifetime ago he woke up with Kathryn asleep in his arms. It was hard to believe it was only that morning. He had been happy and content and while he anticipated things with Kathryn wouldn't go smoothly there was no way he could have anticipated this. Now looking back on the shit storm that was that evening, he realized he was a naive idiot.

After Kathryn had tried her best to sexually assault him then passed out, Sebastian basically freaked the fuck out. He dragged her ass to the bathroom and tried to revive her and when that didn't work, he called Blaine for help. Blaine, who was across town having his own private party with a couple of Freshman in the Columbia dorms, instructed him to get her to the hospital. Sebastian carried her out the servants entrance. The emergency room doctors were able to revive her and then had to pump her stomach. While Sebastian anxiously paced the waiting room, Blaine showed up, making some quip about Kathryn needing help purging or something and Sebastian lost it. He threw him against the wall and started screaming at him. He had assumed (mistakenly as it turned out) that she had gotten the drugs from Blaine. He threatened to turn him over to the cops when one of the night nurses intervened.

Afterwards, when Blaine disappeared Sebastian figured he was gone for good. Eager for a distraction, he went through Kathryn's purse only to find an orange pill bottle. It belonged to Philip Blackwaters mother. _Of fucking course._ When Blaine returned a little while later, brandishing a change of clothes for Kathryn and a coffee for him, Sebastian showed him the bottle then offered up a sheepish apology.

In the end she was fine of course. Kathryn was like that proverbial cat with the nine lives. However, the nurse insisted she needed to stay the night and because she was a minor, they were going to have to notify their parents. Luckily, this was not the first rodeo for any of them. As soon as she left the room, he and Blaine hustled Kathryn out of there. The last thing any of them needed was for their parents or god forbid, the cops getting involved.

Now, as they exited the elevator, to find the house blessedly quiet (the parentals were still at the estate) all Sebastian wanted to do was sleep for the next week. First though, he had to make sure Kathryn wasn't going to pass out in her own vomit or anything.

"Do you need anything? Water? Food?"

She shook her head, disentangling from him. "No," she spoke, her voice sounding painfully hoarse. "I never want to ingest anything ever again."

"Sounds about right."

Kathryn walked off ahead of him and he expected her to disappear into her bedroom and close the door without so much as an apology or a thank you. Instead, she went to his room. Sebastian paused momentarily rubbing a tired hand over his face_. Please god, I just want to go to bed_. He couldn't deal with any more shit from her.

Sebastian followed her inside and quipped, "Kathryn, would you care to come in?"

She ignored his joke and began to strip out of her clothes. Walking around to the other side of the bed, Sebastian watched her curious. Kathryn, noticing his attention, paused. She must have mistaken his curiosity for interest because she scowled and covered her chest with her sweatshirt. "We're not going to fuck tonight," she stated flatly.

Sebastian quirked a brow at that. "Are you sure? You look really sexy in those sweatpants and the vomit in your hair."

Immediately she self consciously patted her hair, looking for any stray vomit. There was none of course. She rolled her eyes at him, but he could see a smile tug at her lips. "Idiot."

He chuckled, removing his own clothes. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but all I want right now is to pass out."

"Me too. I have to get up in," she glanced at the clock and grimaced, "Three hours."

"Well I think I'm going to Ferris Bueller it," he remarked, tossing back the covers.

"We can't. It's election day, remember?"

Somehow, he had completely forgotten. He groaned crawling into bed.

Leaving her underwear on, Kathryn laid down beside him, making herself comfortable. He watched her for a moment, his chest filling with unabashed affection only to turn to fear when he realized he might have lost her that evening.

For whatever reason then, he thought of someone else.

"Do you want me to call Annette?"

Kathryn opened her eyes and stared at him a long beat. "Why would you do that?"

"I think she'd want to know."

She let out a small, humorless laugh, her eyes closing again. "I doubt it. You heard her tonight. She made it pretty clear where we stand."

Sebastian didn't buy that for a second. Annette was in love with his stepsister, the kind of love that didn't evaporate with one fight or even fifty. She would definitely want to know about what went down tonight, but he wasn't going to push. After all it wasn't his job to fix them. If anything, it was his job to destroy them. For whatever reason, he had to keep reminding himself of that fact.

Watching her, Sebastian had a fleeing instinct to reach across and pull her against him, but he ignored it, less it be interpreted as, well, anything. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take hold.

"Hey," Kathryn called softly across the bed. "Guess what?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled into his pillow.

"Jack told me he was in love with me tonight."

Sebastian's eyes opened and he stared at Kathryn whose face was flushed with wry amusement. "Well he's fucked," he replied dryly.

Kathryn's gaze found his in the dark and they both laughed quietly. As their laughter died out, he was struck once again by what almost happened. Something about laying with her in the dark made him feel like all the walls they constructed around themselves were temporarily down. It was his only excuse for what he said next.

"You fucking scared me tonight," he confessed.

The smile slowly faded from her face as she hugged her pillow. "It's not that big a deal," she replied quietly.

"Of course it is. I can't lose you like that. Promise me you won't do it again."

Even in the dark he could sense her rolling her eyes. "I'm fine. You're being dramatic."

"Promise me," he insisted.

Kathryn stared at him quietly, as if contemplating something then nodded. "Okay. I promise."

Sebastian closed his eyes, figuring that was the end of it. A moment later he felt the bed shift and he felt her move closer to him. Kathryn tucked herself against his chest, resting her head beside his on the pillow. Without opening his eyes, he wrapped his arm around her tugging her closer. In a voice so quiet he could barely hear it she told him, "Thank you."

"For?" he murmured.

"Don't make me say it."

Sebastian smiled and placed a kiss on her head before snuggling her further. "Go to sleep Kathryn."

* * *

"That fucking lying bitch!" Annette bellowed into the cavernous living room. "I should have known, as soon as I turned my back, she goes running to him! Fucking typical."

She was well aware she sounded like a total crazy person in that moment. Annette blamed the abject betrayal and the bottle of Jack that was currently pulverizing her liver. She was _very_ drunk. As a rule, Annette didn't get very drunk. It was sloppy and she made it a point to never be sloppy. She was a country girl who had been raised on Tennessee whiskey so she could more than hold her own. However, after the night she had all her rules and regulations had gone out the window and she was now deep _in 'I-don't-give-a-fuck'_ territory. Bottoms up.

"Maybe you should go easy on that," Shiv spoke up nodding at the glass of whiskey in her hand. "The elections tomorrow, remember?"

"I don't give a fuck. That whole snotty school can collectively suck my dick" she sneered as she continued to tare a hole in the expensive plush carpet as she paced furiously in front of her hostess. They were at Siobhan's mother's penthouse. It was a huge, all high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Every wall was covered with big, loud, expensive art work, but the centerpiece of the room was the blown-up portrait of Shiv's mother on the cover of Vogue from back in the 90's. The woman in question was currently out of the country. From the way Shiv talked about it, she got the feeling that aside from the occasional holiday, her mother lived permanently out of the country.

"Who would have thought Little Miss Kansas had the vocabulary that would make Cardi B blush," Shiv snickered. She was sitting on the couch in front of her, make-up scrubbed off, dressed in pink satin pajamas, watching her like she was some kind of exotic animal at a zoo. "So, wait, how long have Kathryn and Sebastian been hooking up?"

Annette shrugged, accidentally sending half her drink over the edge of the glass. "Since last night…or since puberty hit. I don't know. It doesn't matter anymore."

"And how long have you and Kathryn been…?"

"Since this summer." She refilled her glass, slamming the near empty bottle down with a hard thud on the expensive glass coffee table.

Shiv got up, discreetly snagging the bottle and taking it to the kitchen. "So, then you never hooked up with Sebastian?"

"Oh, I sure did, but it was just part of the bet," she explained irritably.

"What bet?"

Annette let out a long sigh then proceeded to tell a rambling, maybe only somewhat accurate account of what went down that summer between her, Kathryn and Sebastian. By the time she finished Shiv was staring at her, mouth agape, eyebrows nearing her hairline. After a beat she exclaimed. "Woah."

"Yeah." Annette slumped to the couch, tugging on the sleeves on the too-long night shirt Shiv had leant her. She reached for yet another bottle she had retrieved from Shiv's mom liquor cabinet. It was a fancy bottle in French, she was pretty sure was gin. Annette hated gin but filled up her glass anyway.

"I mean god knows Sebastian had it coming but…" Shiv trailed off, her gaze narrowing slightly as she looked her over. "I mean that's kind of fucked up."

Annette shrugged unbothered taking another swig of her drink. "Yeah, well hadn't made any plans to cry over that one."

"I guess no one is really who they seem, huh?"

She looked up to find Shiv studying her. Something about it sent Annette's teeth on edge, like suddenly she was being exposed and judged. Pushing back against it she got defensive. "Oh, you think I'm bad?" she asked, becoming loud. She let out a harsh bark of laughter. "I have nothing on Kathryn. If you only knew how fucked-up she really is."

"Such as?" Shiv asked, sitting up a little more alert.

"That tacky crucifix she carries around? It's filled with blow. The rumor you tried to start about her being bulimic—totally true. Her bedroom is a revolving door for half the assholes on the Upper East Side. She's responsible for Darcy Van Ryan going to rehab, she ruined Cecile Caldwell. That girl is fucked for life thanks to her and—what are you doing?"

Annette stopped her rant when she noticed Shiv get up and retrieve something from the kitchen. She ran back, hoping on the couch, pen and pad in hand. Quickly she began writing, a big smile on her face. "This is good shit, but there's no way I'm going to remember it all. Slow down, start again."

Her inebriated state lifted long enough for her to realize she fucked up. Annette snatched the pad out of Shiv's hand. "You can't tell anyone what I just told you," she ordered.

"Yeah right," she huffed.

"I'm serious Siobhan, you repeat anything I just told you and I'll ruin your fucking life, I swear to god," she threatened.

Her big brown eyes widened at the threat. "Okay, Jesus, I won't say anything."

Annette relaxed, tossing the pad aside. "Thank you."

Shiv got to her feet. "You know, despite all your yammering to the contrary, I think you're still in love with her."

Annette curled up onto the sofa and snickered. "Of course I am. Haven't you been paying attention?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a fucking mess."

"I'm well aware."

Shiv's warm chuckle washed over her as she threw a cashmere blanket over her and set a water bottle on the coffee table. "Girl I need to get some sleep and so do you. Big day tomorrow. You'll forget about all this bullshit in the morning."

Annette sincerely doubted it, but she appreciated the sentiment. "Thanks and Shiv? I'm sorry about lying to you about who I am and everything. I didn't mean—"

"It's cool," she told her, waving off her apology. "Actually, I kind of prefer this more bad ass version of you. Should make for an interesting school year."

"I aim to please," Annette replied dryly. "Goodnight."

"Night."

She listened as Shiv padded quietly down the hall to her bedroom. Alone now with her thoughts, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the shadows on the ceiling. Annette tried to fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening. Her alcohol-soaked brain kept replaying the events of the night, making her irritable and anxious. She reached for her phone and began absently scrolling through social media, before growing bored. Eventually she started thumbing through the videos on her phone. Against her better instincts she pulled up that infamous video of Kathryn getting herself off in the back of the taxi. Annette had watched is so many times by now, she had every sigh and eye flutter memorized. Even still she never got tired of it. As she watched, she could feel her hand make its way down between her legs.

"You fucking bitch," she murmured softly as she brought herself off watching it.

After, instead of feeling tired or sated, she just felt empty. Annette got up from the couch and retrieved another bottle of Jack Daniels. She was half way through the bottle when she got her big idea.

She wanted to punish Kathryn, but more importantly, she wanted Sebastian out of her life. But how? Watching the video again inspiration struck. If Kathryn found out he took his video of her, she'd hate him. She'd never let him touch her again. It was perfect.

Drunk and delirious Annette smiled as she posted the video on Manchester's unofficial Facebook. That would show her. Tomorrow morning Kathryn would realize the mistake she made. Smiling into her pillow, Annette rolled over and passed out.


	24. The Leak

**Chapter 23: The Leak**

* * *

Kathryn didn't know who was calling her at this dreadful hour, but she dearly hoped something awful would happen to them. She reached blindly across the mattress for her phone only to come up short, her hand bumping into unfamiliar objects. _Right. This isn't your room_. The ringing didn't let up. She had a vague memory about throwing a bag of her things on the floor the night before. Leaning over the bed, she fumbled around until she found the irksome thing and without bothering to see who it was, silenced it.

She rolled over into the warm bed and started to drift back to sleep. Seconds later it went off again. Sebastian, half buried under the covers beside her, groaned. "Kathryn turn that fucking thing off."

With an irritated moan she forced herself up. Everything hurt. Her head, her stomach, her face. Her throat felt as if she had been gargling with rocks. And she had a speech to make today. _Fucking wonderful_.

Figuring it was likely Ainsley, demanding to know why she was blowing off their before school strategy meeting, she retrieved her phone with a reluctant sigh. She was right it was Ainsley and judging by her panicked texts it sounded like she was at defcon one.

_**What the fuck?**_

_**What should I do?**_

_**Are we denying it?**_

_**Are we pursing legal action?**_

_**WTF?**_

This definitely wasn't about her skipping a meeting. Kathryn was about to text back when she noticed Ainsley wasn't the only one communicating with her. She had 58 unread texts. Her stomach began to fill with dread. Something wasn't right.

"What the hell?" Kathryn mumbled aloud as she began to scroll through her phone.

Emerging from the heap of covers beside her, Sebastian asked, "What's going on?"

"Shut up," she ordered, holding up a hand to silence him.

The further she delved into her phone the more her anxiety grew. As she started reading through texts, more popped up.

_**I'm so sorry Kathryn**_

_**People are garbage**_

_**It's not you right?**_

_**Hey baby, want a hand?**_

_**Always knew you were a secret slut.**_

_**Karma's a bitch and so are you.**_

It took less than a minute of scrolling through social media before she found it. A two-minute video of her, in the back of what looked like a car, laid out across someone's lap, masturbating as she talked to the camera. Luckily, there was no sound, but it was bad, _real_ bad. Clearly, she appeared drunk or high or both and at one point a male hand came into the frame, massaging her bare tit. It was dark and the image was a little grainy, but it was obviously her.

Kathryn let out a high pierced shriek and then immediately regretted it when her throat burned in pain.

Sebastian jumped awake. "Jesus. What is it?"

Ignoring him, she quickly texted Ainsley. _**When did this go out?**_

She answered almost immediately. _**Last night.**_

She texted her more questions, but Kathryn ignored them. Dropping her phone, she slowly turned to her stepbrother. Had she been in a different sort of mood she might have thought he looked adorable with his morning bed head and the bed creases marring her otherwise perfect complexion. But she ignored all that and instead let her white hot rage take over as the realization of just who was responsible became clear.

"You mother fucker," she hissed slowly.

Sebastian's eyebrows rose at the venom in her tone. Before he could say a word however, Kathryn pounced on him, throwing wild punches. It didn't take much for him to fight her off. Grabbing her by the waist he shoved her off. "What the hell is your problem?"

Panting and shaking with rage, she fumbled for her phone and thrust it at him. "This is my problem asshole."

She watched him as he viewed it and while she did see a flash of surprise on his face the video wasn't met with outrage or even sputtering disbelief that she would blame him. Instead, a look of cool resignation seemed to settle on his features as he watched it. Kathryn knew then he was most definitely responsible.

"When did you take this?" she demanded. "On the way to the hospital? You sick, miserable fuck."

"_I_ did not take this last night," he replied, voice filled with indignation as he shoved her phone back at her. "_I_ was too busy saving your ungrateful life to stop and shoot an amateur porno. Look closer Kathryn, does any of it look familiar? Look at what you're wearing? Any alarm bells going off?"

She watched the video again, paying careful attention to the sparkly black dress she was half wearing. Suddenly a flash of memory.

_I want you to take me home and fuck me. Hard._

_I think I can arrange that._

"You took it that night we..?"

"Didn't have sex. Yep. You decided to do a little pre-game warm up and who was I to tell you no."

Kathryn climbed off the bed, needing to put distance between them because she didn't trust herself in that moment not to strangle him. "So, you decided to whip out your camera phone and tape me like I was one of your little conquests?"

"Look Kathryn, I didn't mean—"

"I can't believe I thought I could trust you. Did you tape us that night in the library too?"

"What? Of course not."

"Annette was right, you really are nothing but an untrust worthy fuckboy. And not even remotely worth the trouble. I knew you were capable of a lot of twisted crap but drugging me, recording me and then posting it on the eve of the election is crossing the fucking line. I thought we were past doing this kind of shit to each other?"

"Why, because we fucked?"

The question felt like a slap across the face. She had been expecting him to be contrite, maybe even deny it. She hadn't anticipated being met with scorn and hostility.

Sinking back into bed, he sneered at her, "You can climb off that high horse sweetheart, because after the shit you put me through this summer, this is the least you deserve. And for the record, while I did take the video, I didn't post it. I had every intention of keeping it in my private collection, however I did send one person a copy." Examining his nails, a faint smile ghosted over his lips. "Funny, I never thought she'd have the balls to release it."

There was no need to ask who he was referring to. There was only one other person who mattered. Annette.

Kathryn couldn't let herself believe it. "She wouldn't," she argued lamely.

Sebastian looked back at her. There was a sharp, mean look in his eyes that made her recoil slightly. "And why's that, because she loves you so much? Wake up Kathryn. Are you forgetting what you did to her just two days ago? Did you think she was just going to roll over on that? You almost ruined her life and judging by her mood last night, it's no surprise she decided to retaliate." Sebastian flopped down into the bed, turning his back on her both figuratively and literally. Before he fell back asleep, he left her with one last bitter piece of advice. "Face it sis, karma's come home to roost. If I were you, I'd head for the nearest fallout shelter. The shit is about to come down. _Hard_."

* * *

"Please tell me you have coffee," Annette groaned as she entered Siobhan's fancy chrome and marble kitchen. Her friend sat at the island in the center of the room, scrolling through her phone, already dressed and ready for school. Annette felt positively grubby, having just crawled off the couch, still dressed in her borrowed pajamas.

It wasn't just her lack of shower that had her feeling like hell. The bottles of alcohol she ingested the night before were currently doing a number on her head and body. Frankly, Annette would like nothing more than to spend the rest of the day in bed. However, she knew that wasn't an option. It was election day and even though she could honestly give a shit at this point how things turned out (now that she had her scholarship secured) there was no way she was blowing it off. Too many people had worked too hard on her campaign to just abandon it when the finish line was in sight.

Speaking of which, Siobhan wordlessly handed over a cup of steaming black coffee which Annette gladly accepted. As she took a sip, she noticed her friend eyeing her with curious kind of look. "What?" Annette laughed.

"So, uh, are we not going to talk about it?"

It took Annette's hungover brain a moment to decipher what she was referring to. When some of the events of the previous night floated into her mind she cringed. Christ, she was in no mood, hungover or otherwise, to relive any of that. Assuming Shiv wanted to dive deeper into her 'secret identity' and her relationship with Kathryn she begged off. "Can it wait? There's a lot going on today. I'd like to just concentrate on the election."

Shiv stared at her for a full beat with a look of total confusion before letting out an uneasy laugh. "Uh, don't you think this is likely to have an impact?"

Annette shrugged. "In what way?"

"Um, how about in every way. Are you seriously downplaying this right now? Shit, after last night I realized you were a baller, but I had no idea you were a straight up killer. I mean, who knows if she'll ever come back from this."

"Who?"

"Kathryn of course."

Dread began to gather in her stomach. Setting her cup down carefully she asked, "Shiv what are you talking about? What won't Kathryn come back from?"

She shrugged taking a sip of her cappuccino. "The video."

"What video?"

"The one all over social media of your ex rubbing one out."

Annette's breath caught in her throat. She knew immediately which video Shiv was referring to, but none the less the other girl slid her phone across the marble counter. With dread she glanced down to find it was exactly what she suspected it was, the video Sebastian had taken that infamous night in the taxi.

Picking up the phone she groaned, "Oh fuck me. No, no, no, no."

For a moment she had a brief flicker of hope that maybe Sebastian was the one who released it. After all it was a move out of his playbook. But then as she re-watched the video a vague sort of memory resurfaced from the night before. She remembered laying in the dark, watching the video, having some idiotic thought that if the video got out Kathryn would blame her stepbrother and hate him forever. That's drunk logic for you. God, how could she be this stupid and careless?

"I take it by your reaction you didn't post it?" Shiv asked.

Hand at her forehead, Annette paced. "No, I definitely sent it. I just didn't mean to. Shit, I can't believe I was that drunk."

"I knew I should have taken your phone from you," Shiv sighed. "Well, you can't say the bitch didn't have this coming."

"This is so bad Shiv," she groaned as she continued pacing. "So bad."

"Look, worse case scenario princess Kathryn gets a taste of her own medicine. Would that really be so bad? Do you have any idea how many reputations that bitch has destroyed?" When Annette ignored her, she got off her stool and came around to stand in front of her. Taking her hands, she continued much more gently, "I get it okay? You have feelings for her and you think she'll never forgive you, but—"

"Shiv," she cut her off. "Kathryn's not my main concern at the moment."

And the truth was, although she did feel guilty about what she did to Kathryn and she knew she likely had one hell of a shit fit coming her way, her ex wasn't what she was most worried about. She had bigger problems. Namely the fact that she might have just torpedoed her whole future.

"What do you mean?"

"My scholarship, the one Mrs. Rosemond arranged for me, well it hinders on one stipulation—I can't hurt or embarrass any members of her family. Something tells me releasing a solo porno of her niece probably qualifies."

"Shit"

"Yeah"

Dropping her friend's hands, she turned back to her coffee and took a swig while she considered her next step. There had to be a way out of this. "Maybe we can blame Sebastian for it," Shiv offered. "Let's face it, it's totally up his depraved ally."

"He'll point the finger at me," Annette stated flatly. "She'll believe him." She shook her head. "I'm screwed, aren't I?"

Shiv gave a kind of helpless shrug. "There's always the election. I mean if you win, they can't _not_ give it to you right?"

Annette wasn't convinced. "I suppose." Setting down her coffee she sighed. "Maybe we're making a big deal out of nothing. We're talking about Manchester after all. It's the pantheon of depraved shit. What are the odds this will even register?"

* * *

As it turned out, she was very, very wrong.

Apparently, Annette vastly underestimated Manchester's appetite for scandal. As soon as they stepped foot into school, it was more than apparent that not only had everyone seen the video, but they'd devoured it. Walking the halls, she heard snippets of conversations. Girls giddy and breathless with excitement sharing catty gossip, boys loud and boisterous, laughing loudly as they watched the video. Annette overheard more than one brag that they fucked her, a few even claimed that they were the guy in the video.

She exchanged a tense look with Shiv as they stood before the school activities office where a bulletin board featured several of the student body president campaign posters. All of Kathryn's had been defaced. _Slut. Me so horny. President Finger Fucker. Princess Cum Bucket_. It was all so clever Annette could vomit.

"So much for this blowing over."

"People are animals," Shiv sneered at the graffitied pictures.

"I don't get it," Annette exclaimed staring down the hall at her fellow students. "This place was practically founded on debauchery and hedonism. Why is everyone acting like this is such a big deal?"

"Because Kansas, there's nothing people love more than watching pretty things fall apart."

She turned to find Blaine standing behind them, smirking at the defaced photos of Kathryn. "Last week there was a video of Archie Thomas blowing a goat," she sneered at him, "And nobody batted an eye lash at that."

"Archie Thomas is a degenerate," Blaine explained as he reached over and tore down a poster with the word _whore_ crudely written in lipstick. "Kathryn Merteuil is royalty. There's different rules for people at that level."

"He's right," Shiv spoke up. "There are people in this school who have been waiting for years to see Kathryn fall from her pedestal. They'll feast on this for weeks."

"People like you Siobhan?" Blaine asked with a cheeky grin.

"Look, no one wants to see that bitch get hers more than me. However, I also don't appreciate a woman getting dragged over something that no one would think twice about if she was a man. You could release a video of you jerking off and no one would care."

"Au contraire mon amie, I'll have you know my jerk off videos garner _thousands_ of hits." He pulled out his cell. "Care to see?"

Shiv held up a hand. "Hard pass, thanks."

Just then two sophomore boys passed, laughing, "You just know she gives awesome head. Chicks like that always do."

Annette groaned. "I'm so dead."

"Why would you…" Trailing off a look of realization flashed in Blaine's clever brown eyes and he let out an incredulous laugh. "Wait…_you_ posted the video?"

"Keep your voice down," she hissed at him, casting a quick look around to make sure they weren't being overheard.

"Wow, I wouldn't have thought you had the balls Hargrove."

"I was drunk, okay? It was an accident…sort of."

"She thought Kathryn would think Sebastian posted it and then she'd never talk to him again."

Blaine chuckled. "Well that's certainly some drunk fuck logic right there. Seriously, what were you thinking?"

Stepping closer to him she hissed under her breath, "I found them together last night okay? They were fucking in one of the bedroom's at Philips party and after she told me—"

"Hold up," Blaine interjected. "Last night? I think you may have misinterpreted a few things baby girl."

"No, it's true," Shiv spoke up. "I saw them too."

"You may have seen them together, but trust me, I highly doubt they were fucking."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because Kathryn spent most of last night at the hospital, getting her stomach pumped."

Annette felt as if the floor dropped out from underneath her. "What? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine or at least she was last night after I dropped them off."

"What happened?"

He shrugged. "Sebastian called me last night in a panic, apparently Princess Margaret swallowed a bunch of pain killers and chased it down with some vodka. He found her trying to take a swine dive off a balcony. She passed out not long after and he called me, interrupting what very well might have been the threesome of my young life. I mean these guys were built like—"

"_Blaine_"

He paused, stepping forward he took her gently by the shoulders and assured her, "She's fine. We took her to the emergency room, they got her breathing again and got the shit out of her system. We snuck her out before the proper authorities could be notified. She was exhausted but okay."

"Jesus," Shiv murmured.

"Yeah, I'm guessing whatever it is you two ladies witnessed last night, it wasn't a passionate night of love making. More than likely he was trying to fend her off."

Annette ran a hand over her face. She felt like she was going to be sick. How could she have fucked up this badly? Kathryn should be spending the day in bed recovering, instead she had to contend with her abject humiliation as her name was dragged through the mud all because Annette was a jealous idiot.

Forgetting all about her scholarship likely being revoked, she thought of Kathryn. She had to talk to her, she had to explain. "Blaine have you seen Kathryn today?"

"Nope"

"There's no way she'll show her face at school," Shiv argued.

Annette wasn't so sure about that. She knew Kathryn wasn't the type to back down from anything. She wouldn't spend the day at home hiding underneath he covers all pathetic like. She'd show up, guns blazing, hair and makeup on point. She would also likely be out for blood. Her blood. Kathryn had to have figured out by now that she was to blame.

"No, she'll be here," Annette told them, her gaze sweeping down the hall as if she expected to see her.

Shiv's brow cocked. "How do you know?"

"Because I know my girl," she replied confidently, before heading off down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Shiv yelled at her. "We still have the assembly to prep for."

"I have to find her first," she called over her shoulder. Annette took off before Shiv could call her back. Whipping out her phone she dialed Kathryn's number. It went right to voicemail, no surprise. Annette searched the east wing of the school, swinging by Kathryn's locker to find her not there but some enterprising asshole had scratched 'slut' into the door. Next, she called the Valmont house. The maid who answered told her she wasn't there. Annette couldn't be sure if she was lying or if Kathryn really had gone to school. She was so desperate to find her, she was about to call Sebastian when she realized she had a voicemail waiting on her phone. It was from Mrs. Rosemond. "This can't be good," she muttered aloud before hitting play.

"Annette, this is Helen Rosemond," a prim voice greeted her on the other end, "Please get back to me at your earliest convenience. I wish to discuss your—"

She missed the rest of the message when someone came behind her and abruptly dragged her into an abandoned classroom. In the ensuing melee Annette dropped her phone. She spun around to find a very angry Court Reynolds looming over her. "Hey bitch, remember me?"

Annette, far from intimidated rolled her eyes hard and growled as she bent to pick up her phone, "I do not have time for this bullshit."

She started for the door, only for Court to jump in front of her. Looking up she got her first good at him. He was sporting a black eye and one of his front teeth was missing. "You look like shit," she told him plainly.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," he sneered explaining, "After you stole my car and my clothes, I ran into some beach trash. They jumped me and then left me tied up on some old broads' porch. Naked."

Annette pictured Court, beat up and bleeding, hogtied to some little old lady's wicker furniture and she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" he called out indignantly.

"You should see it from my perspective."

"The bitch threatened to press charges, until she found out who my father was. You know his lawyer suggests I finger you for grand theft auto, assault—"

"Good luck with that," she huffed unimpressed. "I left your car in front of your father's townhouse on Park, which I'm sure you're aware of. As for assault charges, well do you really want the authorities looking into that?"

"What are you talking about? I never touched you!"

Annette began to whimper and forced a few tears as she went into victim mode. "I tried to fend him off, but he was just so much stronger than me. I was scared for my life! When he started taking his clothes off, I panicked and ran to the car. I just kept driving. I was terrified…"

Court grabbed her arm violently. "You lying bitch."

"Oh, that's it, leave a bruise. That should help my story nicely."

He immediately released her. Brows creased in anger he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "They'll never believe you. So help me god, you breath one word of that bullshit to anyone and I'll ruin you."

Annette had heard enough. Glancing down at her watch she realized she had little time to find Kathryn before the first bell rang. She couldn't waste time exchanging threats with this moron any longer. "Court get out of my way," she calmly instructed him.

"Not a chance. You think you can pull something like that on me and just walk away from it? Think again cunt."

Well that settled it.

Annette leapt forward suddenly and grabbed Court by the balls. Literally. He let out a sharp, girly howl of pain as she dug her nails into him then slammed him against the nearest wall. "Listen up shit dick," she snarled, "You are not going to say a goddamn word about anything that happened last night and you're not going to ever, _ever_ put your hands on me again without my expressed authorized permission, are we clear?"

"Fuck you." Annette squeezed tighter making him whimper in pain. "F-fine, I won't say a word."

She smiled, sharp and mean. "Good, because if you every try to corner me again or get in my way, I'll tell everyone your nasty little secret."

"What are you talking about? I don't have—"

"Cut the shit Court, Kathryn told me all about it." Kathryn of course had never said a word to her about any such thing, but she knew their mutual ex must have something on him. Judging by the flash of fear she saw in his eyes and the way he paled at the threat she clearly hit the mark.

"Alright, alright," he replied quickly. "I'll leave you alone, just…don't say anything, promise?"

"Oh, of course," she replied sweet as pie. Annette let him go muttering, "Fucker."

Bent at his side, clutching his likely bruised groin, he glanced up at her with a pitiful glare. Annette just shook her head, not the least surprised that her bluff had worked. "See you around Court…or not."

She was pretty sure he muttered some kind of insult as she turned around, but she couldn't be bothered to care. She had a girl to find.

As it turned out she didn't have to look that hard. As soon as Annette stepped foot out of the classroom, she turned and spotted Kathryn coming down the hall. Her fellow students all stood gawking as she strut purposefully down the hall. Just as Annette had predicted, she looked impeccable, not a hair out of place or a blemish on her perfect skin. Not that any of the animals they went to school with appreciated the effort she put in to show her face. Several people were snickering, a few more brazen cat called. Kathryn ignored them, but there was a very definite _'fuck you'_ in her eyes.

Annette was momentarily struck still like a deer in the headlights. However, Kathryn didn't approach her, didn't even seem to see her as she ducked into the lady's room.

Annette took a deep breath, realizing this was her moment. If only she had the nerve.

* * *

Somehow, this was all so much worse than she anticipated. Kathryn had attended enough public dragging's in her time to know what to expect. Hell, she had orchestrated most of them. Being on the other side of it however was a different beast entirely. She expected the snide remarks, the staring, even coming in to find the word _slut_ scratched crudely into her locker wasn't a surprise.

It's the energy she hadn't anticipated. The malevolent glee everyone seems to take in her misstep (she refused to call it a downfall). It occurred to her then that people had been waiting for this day. The day perfect Kathryn Merteuil fucked up. _Everybody loves me_. Yeah, apparently not. It was quite the shock to realize all these years she thought she was playing everyone else, she was the one being played. They didn't love her. They loathed her.

And she just handed them a reason to do it publicly on a silver platter.

Of course, she had committed the cardinal sin of high school—she was a girl who enjoyed sex. That wasn't allowed, even in this day in age. Everyone loved to crow about sex positivity and female empowerment and all that bullshit, but when it came right down to it, their puritanical natures always shown through. Sex was dirty and if you liked it well you were nothing more than a dirty slut.

Kathryn had barely made it into the building when she was greeted by the onslaught of laughter, whispers and cat calls. She ignored it, heading to her locker where her supposed 'friends' promised to meet her. No surprise they weren't there. Ainsley had at least had the balls to call her, leaving some excuse on her voicemail about traffic. Super convenient, but whatever.

Unable to stand the whispers and stares any longer, Kathryn had ducked into the nearest girl's lavatory. There was a small gaggle of giggling sophomore girls huddled around the sink. They grew quiet when she entered, walking past them to stand at the far end of the bay of sinks. She pulled out her phone and pretended to scroll through it. There were fifteen missed calls. Five of them were from her mother. She winced, dreading what she sure was awaiting her when she got home. Maybe she should run away.

Staring up at her reflection in the mirror she admired the job she did on herself that morning. It hadn't been easy. She woke up looking like death, feeling like it too. On top of everything else she had to deal with that morning, she was still in a lot of pain from the night before. Had it been any other day she would have spent it in bed, recovering. She supposed she could have stayed at home, hiding in disgrace but that felt cowardly and pathetic, two things she was not.

But Christ it would have been _so_ much easier.

The whispering in the bathroom grew louder, their stares less inconspicuous. Kathryn glared at them, but it did little good. They weren't intimidated by her anymore.

When the bathroom door swung open, they all looked up to see Annette enter. Suddenly Kathryn was reminded of the real reason she had come to school that morning. She had an ass kicking to deliver.

Annette came to a stop, her sharp gaze looking past the girls to land on her. Her expression was unreadable but there was something about the way she stood, shoulders back, posture stiff, that told her she knew what she was in for.

One of the lowly sophomore girls giggled loudly only to be silenced by a sharp look from Annette. Withering under her stare the girls quickly scurried out of the lavatory, but not before one of the more brazen called out loudly, "Slut!"

It barely registered with Kathryn as she watched Annette follow behind them, locking the door and then doing a quick stall check. Kathryn regarded her passively as she turned to approach. She could read the apology in her eyes, knew what was coming but she didn't care.

"Kathryn, I've been trying to find you. I need to ex—"

She cut her off with a sharp slap to the face. "You opportunistic little _cunt_," she sneered words clipped and harsh.

Annette touched her face, eyes wide. She quickly shook off her surprise, straightening up, as if expecting more. "Kathryn I—"

"Shut. Up." She snapped, shoving her against the painted brick wall behind them. Kathryn advanced on her and had to stop herself from hitting her again. Her wrath felt apoplectic and all encompassing, as if it could take the room off its hinges without even trying. Annette's eyes flashed with concern, she couldn't be sure if it was for her or herself. It didn't matter anymore.

"Do you have any idea how badly you've screwed me?" she spat. "Because of you I'm the goddamn laughingstock of the school. All those years of sacrifice, of smiling when I wanted to scream, of curbing every instinct inside me, pretending to be someone I'm not…it's all for nothing now. You destroyed my life."

"That wasn't my intention," Annette told her, annoyingly calm. A sane person, trying to rationalize to someone clearly not.

"Fuck your intentions."

"Kathryn, I was drunk and messed up and I thought you were…it doesn't matter now." She shook her head. "I don't have an excuse, not a good one anyway. I fucked up."

Kathryn blinked at her, not quite sure what to do with that apology. "You fucked up?" she echoed, incredulous with rage. "You threw a goddamn grenade into my life. Do you have any idea what I went through last night?"

"Yeah, Blaine told me," she replied softly, concern filling her voice. "Are you okay?"

She let out a humorless little chuckle. "As if you give a shit."

"Of course I do," she exclaimed, hurt. "Kathryn, despite what you may think I do love you—"

"_Don't_," she called out sharply, deadly. "Don't you dare say that to me. Not after what you did."

Annette looked like she was going to argue, but held her tongue. Her eyes flashed with something then and Kathryn sensed she was about to switch tactics or else she was just getting frustrated. "I'd like to remind you, you're not exactly some innocent victim here Kathryn. Have you forgotten what you did to me already? It was literally two days ago."

"Big fucking deal. Your father was well aware you weren't Suzy High School, you just exposed me to the whole world. There's no going back on this, my reputation is completely fucked and on the day of the election. You expect me to buy that's a coincidence?"

"Kathryn, I don't give a fuck about the election anymore. I wasn't trying to sabotage you. I fucked up. What more do you want from me?"

_A pound of flesh will do quite nicely_, she thought snidely to herself.

Giving Annette a cool, dismissive once over she answered haughtily, "I don't want anything from you anymore. From here on in, we're done."

She had every intention of walking out of there, confident in having the last word, but then Annette reached out and grabbed her arm. As soon as she felt the familiar touch of her hand on her body, Kathryn could feel herself soften, her hormones crying out for her to embrace her.

And that pissed her off. It pissed her off bad.

Her fingers curled into a fist at her side and before she even thought about it, she let her anger take over and she spun around and launched her arm in the air. There was a sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh when she connected. It was the first time Kathryn had ever landed a punch. It hurt. _A lot_. But it also felt intensely satisfying.

Annette made a small, pained cry, her hand immediately going to cover her face, her eyes glazed as she looked at her. When she pulled her hands away, her nose was bleeding. Something about seeing that ramped up Kathryn's blood lust.

"You bitch," Annette muttered staring at the blood on her hands.

"Oops," Kathryn remarked with mock contriteness.

She then raised her hand to do it again, only this time Annette saw it coming and easily blocked her. "Don't," the blond warned.

"Or what you'll—"

Before she could get the sentence out, Annette hit her back, her fist making contact with her jaw. For a moment if felt as if Kathryn's whole face was about to explode. Clutching her jaw, she regarded Annette with wounded surprise.

"Will you give it a rest now?" she asked warily.

"Not a chance," Kathryn hissed.

With a heady mix of adrenaline and rage (not to mention the coke she did that morning) running through her Kathryn let out an almighty growl then charged Annette, sending her into the wall. Before she could catch her bearings, Kathryn yanked a fistful of her hair and punched her again. It wasn't as hard or as accurate as the first time, but she could feel her knuckles meeting Annette's delicate cheekbone. The blond cried out in pain. Kathryn went to do it again, only for Annette to push her away, hard. Kathryn stumbled into the metal garbage can. It teetered before meeting the hard stone tile, scattering its contents all over the floor. Kathryn vaguely glanced down at it, not realizing until it was too late, that Annette was charging at her. She slapped her hard across the face, twice. Kathryn shoved her back into the wall.

For a long second, they stood in their respective corners, panting, bleeding. "Have you had enough?" Annette demanded.

"Not nearly," she snarled. "Mutual assured destruction remember? If I go down, I'm taking you with me."

"Yeah we'll see about that," Annette huffed, pushing off the wall, approaching her with a determined glint in her eye. "You still hit like a debutante."

Kathryn charged at her again, only this time, Annette hit her in the stomach. It momentarily knocked the wind out of her. Annette used the opportunity to shove her back into the sinks. Kathryn attacked again, this time with her claws. She dug her nails into her opponents face. Annette screeched, yanking her hair. In the dim recesses of her mind, Kathryn wondered how nobody had started banging on the bathroom door yet, demanding to know what the hell was going on in there.

Luckily for them, they hadn't. Kathryn pitied anyone who tried to get in between them at the moment.

Their fighting eventually, dissolved into screaming, hair pulling and scratching. A total cliché. Had she been in her right mind, Kathryn would have chastised herself for being so unoriginal.

Thrusting a hand into her blond locks, Kathryn slammed Annette's head back into the wall. Twice. She responded by punching her in the tit. Kathryn released her hold, grabbing her breast in pain. Annette gaining the upper hand, grabbed her from around the throat and slammed her backwards into the nearest stall. Hands wrapped around her delicate throat she squeezed. Kathryn struggled for breath. For the first time since this started their eyes met. Annette's clear blue eyes seemed void of emotion but also so familiar they made something in her ache.

Then, before she even realized it was happening, Annette surged forward launching her mouth against hers. The kiss was unexpected and violent and not all together unwelcomed. Even still, Kathryn didn't like feeling like she was relinquishing control. She bit her lip. Annette whimpered, but didn't release her. Kathryn shoved her back. In the small, confined space, she stumbled into the other side of the stall, her eyes dazed, mouth puffy and bleeding. Watching her a shocking jolt of arousal took hold of her. Things were about to take a weird turn.

Without thinking, Kathryn dove at her, kissing her back just as fiercely. She jammed her hand in her hair and tugged. They kissed like they wanted to asphyxiate each other, hungry, raw, uninhibited. She could taste blood on her tongue. Kathryn reached under her skirt and dragged her nails up her thighs, hard enough to draw blood. Annette pulled off her mouth, throwing her head back in pain. She didn't imagine the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Getting off on his bitch?" Kathryn taunted.

"Fuck off," she growled, dragging her teeth down her neck. She bit down where her neck shaded into her collarbones, and Kathryn could feel the bruise blossoming under the thin skin. Annette slammed her back against the opposite wall, kissing her violently as she shoved a hand under her skirt. There was no foreplay (although she supposed this counted in its own twisted way) as she slammed a finger up her twat. "Wet little slut," Annette sneered, adding a second finger. "Always so desperate for it, aren't you?"

"Eat me." It was both a rebuke and an order.

Digging her nails into her shoulder, she shoved Annette to her knees. She wasted no time, diving right in, yanking her panties aside, her tongue lapped eagerly at her cunt. Kathryn threw her head back in pleasure. They hadn't been like this with each other in what felt like forever. Then again, they had never been like _this_ with each other at all. Their sex could get violent at times but nothing like this. A small part of her was afraid Annette might try to bite her clit off or something.

It wasn't going to take much to make her cum, Kathryn knew that. Glancing down her eyes met Annette's. She looked entirely too smug for a girl who was on her knees in a dirty toilet stall. It rankled. She wanted to cum and wanted to kill her at the same time. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Kathryn held her head still then proceeded to fuck her face, grinding her pussy against Annette's wet, bruised and bloodied mouth until she exploded in orgasm. Kathryn cried out as if in pain. She continued to pump against her face, as the last of her orgasm was wrung out of her. Before she had the chance to get worked up again, Annette broke from her hold on her, getting to her feet. She attacked her mouth once again, this time seemingly taking pleasure in feeding her the same tongue that was coated with her juices.

Kathryn shoved her back then spun her around, pressing her face against the graffitied wall of the stall. Pressing up behind her, she jerked her hand between her legs and ripped her panties away. She was terribly wet, it was practically coating her thighs. Kathryn worked two fingers inside her violently. Annette immediately bucked on her hand. "You always did like it rough," Kathryn whispered tauntingly against her ear before biting down on it.

"Fuck me," Annette growled.

Then to emphasis her point, Kathryn rucked up her skirt, shoving the hem into the waistband, so she was exposed then slapped her hard on the ass. Annette whimpered. Kathryn did it again, this time leaving a nice red hand print.

She fucked her with two fingers and then three. For a brief second she contemplated fisting her again before deciding it was too messy. With one hand buried in her cunt the other yanked at her white blouse, the buttons scattering to the tiled floor as Kathryn shoved her greedy hand inside, grabbing her tits hard enough to leave finger shaped bruises in her wake.

Annette arched into her touch, moving back against her. As she did her left leg slid back, sliding between Kathryn's legs. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. It didn't matter. Kathryn began to grind down against her as she fucked her, getting herself off in turn. It wasn't as satisfying as having her cunt licked of fucked but it felt good all the same. Leaning tight against Annette, she whimpered in her ear as she worked her over. She turned her head, just slightly and their eyes met. Leaning in Kathryn kissed her. It wasn't violent or even cruel. Moments later they both came, strangled moans pushing their way through their chests, first hers followed quickly by Annette.

They stood there panting, Kathryn slumped against Annette, a messy tangle of sticky limbs and fingers. When she felt Annette shift to stand, Kathryn pulled back awkwardly. The fight had finally drained (or was that fucked?) out of her.

Stumbling wordlessly out of the stall, Kathryn caught view of herself in the mirror and winced. Her lip was bleeding, her cheek was bruised and in the early stages of swelling, there were claw marks all over her and bite marks on her neck. One look at her and there was little question that she had been in one hell of a fight.

Fantastic, just what I needed.

Her only solace was that Annette looked worse. Thanks to Kathryn's handy work, she'd have a nice black eye by tomorrow morning. Maybe two.

Both messy, bleeding and smelling vaguely of pussy, they each retreated to their separate corners to silently assess the damage, careful to avoid making eye contact with one another. Kathryn did her best to clean herself up, using the makeup from her bag to fix what she could of her face.

When she was satisfied with her work she finally glanced over at Annette, who was staring dismayed at her ripped shirt. For a fleeting second, she had the desire to go to her, wrap her in her arms and laugh about this. But then she remembered. _This bitch blew up my whole life_. Suddenly the last thing she wanted was to forgive and forget.

Regaining the steel in her voice she instructed Annette, "If I were you, I'd get my affairs in order."

"Meaning?"

"Your days at Manchester are numbered."

Annette rolled her eyes and sighed. "Kathryn, come on, you honestly think you can banish me just because you say so?"

She smiled, slow and malicious. "Of course I can. Annette, up until this point I've been careful with you, some might even say kind. Well that's over with. I let my guard down with you, I loved you and you repaid me by destroying my life. You don't get to walk away from that."

Crossing over to her she leaned in and kissed her briefly on her bruised cheek. "Get ready baby," she murmured to her, "You have a world of pain coming your way."

Turning around, Kathryn walked out, feeling much more triumphant than she had when she entered. As she left, she replayed the lingering image of Annette as they parted. She looked afraid. Good.

* * *

"Where are they?" Sebastian demanded as he paced the small backstage area restlessly.

"Maybe they're off making up."

Pausing he looked over at Blaine who was perched atop a stack of folding tables, filing his nails, expression stooped in boredom. He waited for what he assumed was the punchline. When it didn't come Sebastian huffed, "Somehow I doubt it."

The bleached blonde looked up, a smile tugging at his lips. "Then perhaps she finally snapped and is off burying Blondie in the woods."

"As if Kathryn would ever stoop to physical labor," he scoffed.

Blaine laughed lightly. "Touché."

Their dialogue was cut short when the applause from the audience sitting just beyond the curtain erupted. Sebastian's stomach knotted. It wasn't the public speaking he minded. He could give a school speech in his sleep. It was the fact that his competition for this thing had apparently flown the coop. He might have expected Kathryn to not show her face, given recent events, but not Annette. This was too important. Something had to have happened. There was nothing Sebastian hated more than being kept in the dark.

Mr. Ashby, the deputy headmaster, took the stage and began lecturing the student body about the importance of the election or some such shit. Sebastian wasn't listening. The candidates for student body president were supposed to deliver a short closing speech, kind of like closing arguments in a trial he guessed, before their peers went off to decide their fate.

"I am curious about your hand in all of this."

Sebastian turned back to Blaine. "What do you mean?"

Blaine sat up, his expression taking on a sharper, more calculating look. "That video, Annette posted it, but she didn't film it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because let's be real handsome, videotaping vulnerable women in compromising situations is kind of your forte, isn't it?"

He stared him down and it didn't take long for Sebastian to buckle under his attention. "Yeah, I took it so what?" he spat defensively. "She had this coming."

"Huh, that's interesting. I could have sworn that was you threatening to put Parker Sullivan and his jock buddies in the hospital if they talked shit about Kathryn again."

Sebastian shrugged, indifferent. "His juvenile taunting was giving me a migraine."

Blaine hopped off his perch. "I just figured, after last night, you might have let go of your little vendetta."

"Fuck last night," he spat with more venom than he actually felt. "It didn't change anything."

As always, the all-knowing Tuttle remained unconvinced by his lies. "Uh huh."

Growing increasingly frustrated by the direction of the conversation, Sebastian huffed out, "Look can't you just—"

"Boys, have either one of you see Annette or Kathryn?" Mrs. Fletcher, the faculty member in charge of student government came striding up to them, interrupting their conversation. She was a tall woman, fortyish with short cropped grey hair and an excitable expression.

"No," they replied in unison.

"Oh, this is not good," she said, anxiously wringing her hands.

"So, if they don't show up, does that mean I win this thing or what?"

She smiled with strained patients. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way Mr. Valmont."

"Here I am!"

Annette suddenly came rushing over, breathless and still buttoning her Manchester blazer. "Sorry, I got held up in biology."

Mrs. Fletcher nodded in obvious relief. "Well thank god you made it, have you seen Ms. Merteuil?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well we better get started. You two can take your seats on stage."

Blaine patted them both on the back, his usual smirk in place. "Good-luck. Don't fuck up," he sing songed before walking off with Mrs. Fletcher.

Sebastian paid him no mind, his attention on Annette and her busted face. She had done a good job of hiding the damage with makeup, but after having dealt with his fair share of black eyes recently, he recognized a fresh one when he saw it. She was also sporting a clearly busted lip and some vicious scratches on her neck. Taking her by the chin, he held her face up to the light. "So, I take it you _have_ seen Kathryn recently," he remarked dryly.

Annette shoved him away irritably. "Piss off," she growled, before fixing a smile on her face and marching out on the stage.

Sebastian followed after and was soon greeted by applause. He gave an indifferent wave to the crowd, his gaze still fixed on Annette as he sat beside her. Her knee was shaking as if she was nervous. He didn't buy that for a second. Something else was bothering her. Leaning in he murmured, "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you look anything less than poised. Your shaking. She must have really gotten to you."

"I'm fine," she remarked through a smile.

"Right." Sebastian stared blandly out at the crowd. "There's a lot more people here than normally come to this crap," he mused. "They all came to see her of course, to see if she has the guts to show her face." Annette squirmed in her seat and he smirked. Leaning in for the kill he told her, "You know I armed both of you, but I never thought you'd be the one to pull the trigger."

Annette's smile fell. "You don't know me very well," she replied, voice hard.

Before he could reply, Ashby was introducing her. "Annette Hargrove!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Smile fixed once again, Annette rose to her feet to deliver her speech. Sebastian listened for a minute or so before tuning her out. It was the same stupid bullshit he was used to hearing from his sister's speeches. Only Hargrove was a better actor.

Suddenly someone sat down beside him. Sebastian flinched in surprise when he saw it was Kathryn. Honestly, you could have knocked him over with a feather. "Fashionably late as always sis," he quipped drinking her in. "I didn't think you'd have the nerve to show."

"Sorry to disappoint."

He regarded the cool, unaffected expression on her face. She didn't look nervous. If anything, she appeared calm, confident even. Something was up.

"I've been admiring your handiwork," he told her, his gaze on the scratch marks and bruises on the back of Annette's legs before returning to her. He noticed Kathryn had scraps of her own. Claw marks on her thigh, and bruises under her make-up. "It looks like she gave as good as she got."

Kathryn didn't so much as flinch. "Not for long."

He realized she was not only confident, she was smug. It was practically bursting out of her. She was up to something all right. "What have you done?" he asked quietly.

Kathryn didn't reply. She didn't need to. The malevolent, grin spread across her face said it all.

Before Sebastian could press further, he looked up to notice someone had come in from the back of the auditorium. It was the headmaster, his aunt and two uniformed police officers.


	25. The Take Down

**Chapter 24: The Take Down**

* * *

There were two hundred and twelve tiles bordering the small room adjacent to the headmaster's office. Four of them were chipped. Nine of them were discolored. Annette knew this because she'd counted them four times in the past twenty minutes. Call it a coping mechanism. It was that or start screaming and throwing things. Well, she'd never been a screamer so she here she was, counting tiles, trying to keep her mind off that fact that her future was dangerously close to being flushed down the toilet all on account of a drunken fuck-up.

Maybe that was an oversimplification. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps her real mistake was planning for a future she was never meant to have in the first place. Fuck, she was getting maudlin.

Time seemed to come to a standstill in that little room. The clock in the far corner ticked down the seconds ominously. Annette felt like she was in one of those little interrogation scenes like on a true crime show. Her eyes scanned the room looking for a hidden camera. Was that what the adults in the next room were doing, observing her, waiting to see how long it took before she cracked. They wouldn't have to wait long.

She could hear their murmured voices on the other side of the door, muffled and unintelligible. Of course, she was tempted to eavesdrop but that felt like a step too far into the pathetic. Whatever else, she still had her dignity. Besides, she knew what they were saying. They were talking with Anna St. James, treasurer of the Manchester committee Annette had spearheaded to collect and distribute medical equipment. Anna, to put it bluntly, was every parents wet dream of a kid. 4.0 gpa. Early admittance to Harvard. Involved in school activities, but no real interest in any of the less than wholesome activities of her peers. In fact, Anna seemed completely oblivious to the hierarchy and class system of high school. She was dependable, hardworking, and pathologically honest. That's why when little Anna went to Helen and claimed Annette was embezzling from the charity she was automatically taken at her word.

God, whatever Kathryn had on little miss goody two shoes had to be _good_.

When they told her the accusations Annette had nearly laughed out loud. She had to give it to Kathryn, it was ballsy, not to mention spiteful and vindictive. She had to admit it was kind of impressive. To pull off a take down this elaborate in mere hours took talent. If it wasn't her ass on the line, she might have been kind of curious to see if she could pull it off.

But it was her ass, so princess brother fucker could go to hell.

Speaking of which, Annette wondered if Sebastian was involved in any of this. It was the sort of thing that would naturally be right up his depraved alley but thinking back to their discussion right before they took the stage, she doubted it. He would have been much more smug and obnoxious had he known her downfall was looming. Subtlety wasn't really his forte.

When Annette's phone dinged, signaling a text, she sighed before retrieving it from her bag. It was Shiv.

_**What the hell's going on?**_

_**Is that St. James bitch seriously accusing you of stealing?**_

_**How bad is it?**_

She considered ignoring it before she remembered how great Shiv was last night and she kind of owed her something. She texted back three words.

_**Pretty fucking bad**_

Annette was turning off her phone when the headmaster's door opened and Anna came out. There was virtually no expression on her pinched face, like it was nothing, like she didn't just systematically help to destroy her life. As she passed, she glanced at Annette. If she was expecting to see a flash of guilt or remorse in her face, she would be sorely disappointed. Her brown eyes were blank, almost bored as if this was just another task to check off on her daily to-do list. She always thought there was something robotic about that girl. Guess she wasn't too far off.

"Annette," her father called from the doorway. "We're ready for you."

One look at her father's face and she knew her future at Manchester was over with. To anyone else his expression carried the same solemnity it always had, but years spent observing the man gave Annette a certain insight. She could see it, right around the eyes, a mean-spirited sort of glint. He knew he had won the war.

Feeling as though she was marching to her execution, Annette gathered her things and headed inside. Helen was there along with a uniformed officer that worked exclusively for the school. Everyone wore heavy, grave expressions as if someone had died. Annette took the lone unoccupied seat.

Closing the door behind him her father began, "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this Annette, but these charges made against you are very serious. The reports Anna has been showing us have been very compelling."

She expected nothing less. Slipping seamlessly into actress mode, she told them almost pleadingly, "I didn't do this. I could never steal anything let alone take money from a charity. I worked really hard for this organization. I would never jeopardize my future for a little bit of money." A little sharper she added, "That's insane."

"I want to believe you Annette," Helen spoke up, her voice as always overflowing with grandmotherly warmth. "You've been so good for this school and I know you have a bright future ahead of you, but Anna's evidence is overwhelming. Here, look for yourself."

Helen handed over a pile of spreadsheets that Annette had to stop herself from snatching out of her hand. She studied the numbers, all carefully listed in their individual columns. Even though accounting was far from her specialty, even she could pick out the disparities from the money coming in and the money going out. "All this proves is there is money missing, not that I took it."

The adults share a look. "According to Anna," her father spoke up, "She stumbled on an off the books account that she believes the money is going in to. The account is registered to you."

"That's bullshit!" she snapped, unable to control her anger any longer. "I don't have any access to any accounts. Not even the one for the charity. Anna handles everything."

"Not according to her."

"She's lying!"

"Annette calm down," her father ordered, his tone unflinchingly even. "Now, I can't help but notice recently you seem to have come into some, how shall I say, luxury items. A new bag, new clothes, that dress you wore the other night…"

"Helen bought that for me."

"Oh dear, I think you're mistaken."

Annette looked back at her in surprise. _Oh, so it's like that is it? _Not only was Helen going along with all of this she was helping facilitate it as well. Why? Was it all because she had humiliated her family, gone back on their deal? Not wanting to give the other woman the satisfaction of an argument she instead replied, "I'm being set up."

"By who?"

She locked eyes with Helen. As much as she would have liked to have blamed Kathryn, she knew realistically that wasn't an option. Helen Rosemond was far too formidable. The cops were just for show but if she started fingering her niece for this there was a very real possibility they might become a real threat.

"I can't say," she answered tightly.

"We currently have some IT men looking into it," the cop informed them. "We should get some answers in a few hours."

Her father nodded before turning back to her. "If what Anna says is true, and it can be proved, I'm afraid you're going to have some serious consequences to answer to young lady."

"You won't find anything," she told him with more confidence than she felt. "I'm innocent."

Even as the words left her mouth however she knew there was a real possibility Kathryn would make a liar out of her. Then again, even Kathryn wasn't that good. She hoped.

* * *

"So, what have you heard?"

The bell had barely rung and already Sebastian was on his phone, booking it out of his econ class to get all the details on Manchester's latest scandal. Of course, he turned to the most trusted source in news and gossip, Blaine.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, clearly relishing every minute of this. "According to my sources—"

"Oh, you mean the office attendant you blow during free period every Monday?"

"That's the one"

"What did he tell you?"

"Apparently they're accusing Miss Seventeen magazine of stealing money from that charity of hers."

Sebastian came to an abrupt stop in the hallway, causing another student to bump into him. Ignoring the annoyed glare from his classmate he let out an incredulous laugh and exclaimed, "You're shitting me."

"I shit you not and I haven't even gotten to the best part. The person who fingered her? Anna St. James."

"Anna St. Narc?" he echoed her not so endearing nickname. "She came out of the womb with a stick up her ass."

"Exactly, so you know if she's throwing around accusations, there's no way the headmaster and your aunt are going to dismiss that." Blaine paused and Sebastian could hear him inhale something. "I guess so much for the election, huh?"

"I think the election is the least of her worries at the moment."

"You think they'll actually arrest her?"

He shook his head despite the fact that Blaine couldn't see it. "Not likely, you know how much auntie loathes a scandal. I'm sure they'll keep it all in house and just quietly kick her out."

Another pause. "You think she did it?"

Sebastian let out a short laugh as he ducked into a quiet stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. "Does Hargrove really strike you as the embezzlement type?" Even if she did, one look at his stepsister's face at the assembly told him everything he needed to know. This had Kathryn's vengeful fingerprints all over it. The question was, how the hell did she pull it off?

"I don't know, this seems a little out of your darling sister's league. I mean destroying reputations and seducing underclassman, sure, but computer fraud and felonies? Anyway, when would she even have time."

"The devil works hard, but Kathryn Merteuil works harder," he joked. "As my father always says, never underestimate a Merteuil scorned. Speaking of which, have you seen her?"

"Not since she hightailed it out of the auditorium."

Sebastian was about to ask him a follow up question when he poked his head into the student government offices and spotted a familiar head of mahogany hair. He grinned. "Never mind I found her."

He hung up and waited a beat before slipping into the room. One of the perks of the student body president position, you got access to a small private office with a view of the front courtyard. Kathryn had done away with the cheap office furniture and inspirational posters she inherited from the previous president, replacing them with high end Taylor Llorente furnishings, a coffee bar and Renoir on the wall. Sebastian had long ago dubbed it her war room. The general herself was currently sitting behind a large imposing desk, staring intently at her laptop. "I thought I'd find you hiding in here," he called out by way of greeting.

Kathryn didn't look up as he came in, but he could see her shoulders visibly tense. "I'm not hiding," she snapped.

Sebastian gracefully sprawled out in the chair opposite her. He searched his stepsisters face intently for any kind of tell, but as always, she was all poker face. "No, I suppose you wouldn't have a reason to hide anymore," he mused, "Your porn star theatrics are old news thanks to Annette's detainment. Very impressive by the way. I honestly didn't think you had it in you." He leaned across the desk. "How did you pull it off?"

Kathryn at last looked at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she taunted, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, I very much would. I mean Anna? What in the hell could you possibly have on that bitch? An overdue library book?"

"Still bitter about Cabo I see."

Sebastian's humor momentarily dimmed at the memory of two summers ago when Anna was the subject of one of their infamous bets. Kathryn dared him to seduce the little wallflower and he assumed it was a slam dunk, only Anna proved very immune to his charms, going so far as to threaten him with a restraining order if he came near her again. Because of his failure Kathryn and her friends got the run of the Valmont's latest property in Cabo San Lucas. Sebastian wasn't invited.

"Fuck that bitch," he snarled. "How did you do it?"

"Why are you so curious?"

"You know I always appreciate a good kill."

Kathryn looked up and studied him a beat. Sebastian could see her trying to assess whether she should confide in him or not. He knew it was instinctual for her to do so. He was the same way. Sighing she told him, "It's none of your concern."

Undaunted, his gaze wandered over to the computer screen. It was a bank account. From the Cayman Islands and narrowing his eyes he saw it belonged to Annette. So, apparently her plan wasn't finished yet. She was still holding back. _Interesting_.

"Doing a little offshore banking sis?"

Sebastian reached for the mouse, trying to zoom in for a closer look. Kathryn slapped his hand away. "Fuck off Sebastian, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Irritably, she got up from the desk with her laptop and stomped over to the small couch in the corner.

Sebastian followed her with his eyes. "So, you really are going to set her up for embezzlement? So much for true love. Well, what are you waiting for, pull the trigger."

"I am, I'm just…"

"Losing your nerve?"

Not meeting his gaze, her perfect posture seemed to sag as if the weight of the last few days was finally getting to her. "I don't want to ruin her life," she told him softly.

"Why the fuck not? She had no problem ruining yours. I mean everyone might be distracted right now by the bright shiny new scandal, but it doesn't mean they're going to go back to looking at you the same way. Face it sis, those days of everyone worshipping you and thinking you walk on water are gone, thanks to her. Give that bitch what she deserves."

"It's not that simple."

"Isn't it? Look, I get it, you have feelings for her or whatever, but you're not an idiot. You know this thing between you two was never going to end with you two walking off into the sunset. You're too similar, too ambitious. Do you really want to spend your time constantly competing with a girl, who let's be honest, is always two steps ahead of you? You're not really the runner-up type and let's face it, that spotlight isn't big enough for the both of you."

Sebastian paused, trying to tell if anything he was saying was getting through to her. After a beat, Kathryn looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "Your nothing if not predictable Valmont. Still nursing your vendetta I see."

"You think I give a shit about that?"

"I think it's the only thing you give a shit about."

"Then you're not paying attention."

She regarded him with a cynical smirk, "I was paying attention this morning when you told me to enjoy my karma."

"What's the matter sis, don't you recognize a defense mechanism when you see one?" She rolled her eyes and he shrugged. "I was out of line, okay? You know I've never been good with guilt." Sebastian plopped down beside her on the couch. "I never should have made that video. I took advantage of you and I'm sorry. It crossed the line."

"Yeah, no shit," she replied with little bite. Kathryn rubbed her temple, her gaze locked on the screen. Sebastian reached over and abruptly shut the computer closed. "Ah—what are you—"

"Forget about that for a second." He reached over and cupped her face. "You asked me the other day if I ever wished to go back in time, the answer is yes. Hell yes. Kathryn I would give anything to go back to before this whole fucking summer started, back when it was just you and me against the world. I miss it, don't you?"

Her eyes flashed with something indiscernible. "Sebastian I…sometimes, yes."

"We were invincible together. Nobody could touch us. Like gods. It can be like that again. It can be better, but not if she's in the picture. Send her away and it can be just us, just like it was always meant to be."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy," he insisted. "Get rid of her and it can be just like before only better."

"Better how?"

Sebastian's gaze faltered as he reached out and traced a finger along her delicate hands. "I doubt you remember this, but last night, when you were out of it you asked me why I couldn't love you like I did her."

"Jesus," she grumbled, trying to pull away in obvious embarrassment. "Sebastian I was completely fucked up, you can't take any of it—"

"Stop," he admonished as he reached out and pulled her back to him. "I like it when you're fucked up. You're honest. The truth is I want to love you like that, I always have but I couldn't handle the rejection."

"You assume I would?"

"Wouldn't you?"

Before she could voice any more objections, he leaned in and kissed her. He half expected her to shove him away, snap that they were in school but instead he felt her hand circle around his neck, drawing him in further. They made out, hot and heavy, all thrusting tongues and roving hands until Sebastian on instinct tugged her into his lap. Kathryn allowed it then abruptly pulled back. "Stop," she ordered breathlessly. "This isn't happening."

Taking her face in his hands, he drew her back to him. "We can be happy," he murmured against her mouth, "We can be epic, but not if she's in the picture. This will only work if I know I can have you completely to myself."

Kathryn blinked up at him. "Is that what you want?"

"More than you know"

She said nothing for a long, loaded beat, as she studied his face, searching out the lie. Sebastian held his breath as he waited and wondered. _Is she actually buying this horseshit?_

There was a time, not so long ago, he never would have been able to pull off such a rouse. She would have called bullshit before the first earnest sentiment could leave his lips. But this wasn't the same ice in her veins Kathryn he was dealing with. Falling for the Hargrove bitch had made his sister go soft. It made her weak. It also made her the perfect target.

This time when he kissed her, she didn't object, and she didn't push him away. Sebastian waited for her to turn around and open the computer back up. Instead she decided to open something else instead. He was genuinely surprised when he felt her nimble fingers working his pants open. This wasn't what he intended, not now anyway, but who was he to argue.

Still, playing the part of the concerned lover. "Are you sure?"

She reached in and wrapped her fist around his cock, jerking him hard. "Are you objecting? Wasn't this one of your little fantasies in that retarded journal of yours. I seem to recall a particular nasty entry about taking me on this very couch. Of course, I don't have any handcuffs and anal beads on me at the moment"

"It's just, you seem…" _clearly not in the right headspace_.

Kathryn stilled, her eyes hard. "Go ahead. Say something stupid. I dare you."

Never admit weakness. Never admit vulnerability. Even when it's written all over your face. The Merteuil motto. If he actually meant all the corny shit he just spouted to her, he would have gently rebuffed her, told her they'd celebrate at home. She was clearly not in a good place right now, the events of the past couple days, hell the last couple hours, were obviously doing a number on her already damaged psyche. Fucking her now, would be taking advantage of her. It was a dick move.

It was also exactly what he needed to do to win the war.

Cupping her face he told her, "you seem…absolutely perfect."

"Goddamn right I am," she replied, as if she was trying to convince herself more than him.

Sebastian tugged her back into a kiss, while she pulled him out of his pants, shifting on his lap. He worked her shirt open, his eager hands cupping her breasts through her lace bra while his mouth searched out that place on her neck that normally made her mewl. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her wince. Pulling back he saw why. There were claw marks and bruises all over her chest and abdomen. "Jesus," he breathed. "You and Hargrove really did a number on one another didn't you?"

"It's nothing," she said, before ducking forward to kiss him. An obvious distraction as she clearly wasn't going to say anything more on the matter. As Kathryn opened his shirt and he slipped a hand into her panties, he wondered if they fucked. They must have. There were hickies and love bites all down her chest. Sebastian didn't know how he felt about indulging in Hargrove's sloppy seconds.

Before he could ruminate on it for too long, Kathryn brushed aside her panties and guided him inside her. She sunk down on his length with a broken whimper that Sebastian echoed. Fuck almighty she felt good. All that tight, clenching heat. She was wet too although not as wet as she was that night in the library. He barely touched her that first time and she came. He had a feeling he was going to have to work a little harder for it this go around.

Kathryn rocked against him gently at first, her arms coming to wrap around his neck. Sebastian slipped a hand around her waist while the other rubbed circles against her clit. She whimpered, not meeting his eyes. Her hips sped up, but it was hardly at a gallop. Leaning forward she buried her face in his neck. Sebastian looked behind them at the door. It was closed but not locked. She was fucking him at school in an unlocked room. Wrapping an arm around her he thought about falling asleep last night with her in bed. He thought about how pale and lifeless she looked on the stretcher at the hospital. He thought about the look on her face when some nobody sophomore called her a slut in the hallway. Something ugly and raw twisted uncomfortably in his stomach. Then he felt it. Wetness on his shoulder. He told himself it was just sweat but no, that's not what it was. Tears.

_What the fuck are you doing Valmont? She's a goddamn open wound and you're twisting the knife in deeper._

He loved her at one point. Maybe he still did. She was everything to him. Even with all the games and bullshit between them that never changed. He never wrote about any of that. Never even said it out loud. He could tell her now though. Tell her for real. He could ask her to choose him.

_And then as soon as you turn your back, she'd fucking destroy you_, he reminded himself. Hargrove was right. Given half a chance she'd eat him alive. It was how she operated, how he operated. See the lesson he learned this summer, the one his sister so blithely ignored was there was no happily ever after for people like them. It was all a game and in every game, there was a winner and a loser. Well Sebastian was sick of being the fucking loser.

_Get it together you pussy._

Pushing down the uncomfortable feeling lodged in his throat, he grasped his stepsister by the hips and maneuvered her onto her back. Pulling back, he saw there was indeed tears prickling the corner of her eyes. Sebastian ignored them as he settled between her open thighs. "Is this okay?"

She nodded and Sebastian kissed her until she melted against him once again. Bracing himself against the back of the couch he started to fuck her in earnest. The room soon filled with the sounds of flesh slapping flesh and the subtle whine of the couch springs. Reaching between them, Sebastian played with her pussy, eliciting soft, erotic moans from her parted lips. If anyone was listening on the other side of the door there would be little question what they were doing in that small office. Luckily, it was still the middle of seventh period so he knew they were safe.

His earlier angst forgotten, Sebastian concentrated on making his stepsister come as he luxuriated in her clenching heat. It didn't take long before he felt her come undone around him, shaking gently as she pulled him in tight, sobbing his name. Sebastian sped up, slamming her harder, letting his mind go blank before emptying himself inside her. He tried not to call out her name. As if that meant anything.

Afterwards, they lay panting into the silence, both lost in their own thoughts. They were both still partially dressed, sticky and uncomfortable. Sebastian couldn't bring himself to pull away from her. It was Kathryn who shifted away, turning on her side. Sebastian spooned her from behind. He traced a finger down the slope of her neck. "Are you alright?"

"Of course."

Sebastian eyed the computer, balancing on the small table in front of them. Kathryn stared at it too. "You know, if you can't go through with it, I understand. It's not an easy thing. Letting go."

He looked down at her, waiting to see if she'd take the bait. She didn't disappoint.

Kathryn leaned over and opened the computer. She hit a few keys and as the page reloaded, she sunk back against him. "It's done," she announced.

Sebastian dropped a kiss on her shoulder and grinned. Kathryn didn't look nearly as thrilled. It didn't matter. He pulled her in and nuzzled her neck. "We're going to be so fucking happy."

Well, one of them would be at least.

She didn't reply but he did feel her squeeze his hand. Dropping another kiss on her neck, Sebastian wondered when Kathryn became such an easy target.

_Love makes fools of us all_. Ain't that the fucking truth.

* * *

"I'm so sorry Annette," Helen Rosemond simpered, her contrite smile as phony as her useless platitudes. As always, she was the consummate actress. Annette fantasized punching her in the face.

Honestly, she didn't know why she was even bothering. They were the only one's there. Her father was back at the school, getting ready to make the announcement of the new student body president, carrying on as if nothing had changed. Which, frankly she was grateful for. The last thing she needed in that moment was his gloating, pompous face. She wondered if Helen had volunteered to be the one to break the news to her. Probably. She struck her as the type of woman who insisted on seeing a task out to its bitter end.

And this was indeed the end. Of her career at Manchester at least.

"I'm afraid, there was evidence found that implicated that you were indeed culpable in stealing from the charity," she explained, standing in front of the fireplace in the same small family room she had occupied when she offered to save her future. Now here she stood, in the exact same spot, helping dismantle it. _Isn't irony fun?_

"What evidence?" Annette asked from her spot on the couch.

"Apparently there was a bank account, in the Cayman Islands, set up in your name, with a rather large sum of money."

She shook her head, smiled bitterly. "How terribly sloppy of me. I don't know if I should be pissed or impressed that your niece would stoop to dabbling in felonies in order to ruin my life."

Helen ignored the remark and continued on, speaking in her gentle, comforting way. "The school board has agreed not to press charges, so long as you leave quietly, and your father will keep his position at the school."

"Oh good, I was worried," she quipped. "So, I get shoved out and he gets to stay why exactly?"

"Your father is a wonderful educator."

Right. More likely they worried that if her father left, he might be angry enough to dig into the so called 'evidence' which she was sure any half rate investigator could deduce was phony. Lucky for the school board and Kathryn however, her father was the sort of self-absorbed asshole who cared more about his own career than that of his daughter's reputation or wellbeing. His shitty parenting really was the gift that kept on giving.

Shifting to the edge of her seat, she glared steely eyed at the other woman and stated, "You know I didn't do this right?"

Helen didn't so much as flinch. "I know what you did to Kathryn. That crossed a line."

"That was a mistake. I didn't mean to send—"

"It was sloppy," Helen snapped, her carefully constructed genteel veneer momentarily vanishing. Her face became harder, more weary as she replied almost bitterly, "I thought you were smarter than that. Ambitious women can't afford to be led by their hearts. You would think after the events of the past couple weeks you would have realized that." Her gaze traveled over her bruised face and she tsked, "Did you honestly think you could love a girl like my niece and still come out on top? Kathryn was raised to be a winner. She will never settle for second place. Her ambitions will always be paramount, they will always be more important than yours, surely you must know that."

She did or at least she thought she did. "I didn't think it mattered," she admitted quietly. "She loved me, I thought—"

"What? That love conquers all?" Helen laughed lightly, "Come now, you're smarter than that. Relationships are not fairytales my dear. They are difficult, they require sacrifice and compromise, two things my niece and I suspect yourself are not equipped for at this time."

Her condescension rankled, namely because deep down she knew she was right. Kathryn loved her ambition, so long as it didn't interfere with her own. She loved her, so long as didn't stand in the way of what she wanted. Annette was the exact same way. They were smart and calculating, and passionate, but they didn't know how to love like normal people. Sacrifice was indeed a dirty word.

"I know you don't see it now, but this was likely for the best. Better you learn this lesson when you're young, rather than when it's too late to get yourself out of it unscathed."

She assumed Helen was hinting at some hard lesson learned in her later years. She didn't care enough to pry at the moment, what with her whole life being blown up and all. She didn't want platitudes and life lessons. She wanted a plan on what to do next.

Pushing up from the couch, Annette paced the small room. "So, what happens now?"

"You go back to Kansas and you rebuild."

She let out a scornful laugh. "On what? With this black mark on my record I'll be lucky if Kansas community college lets me in. Maybe they'll have a student government, huh?"

"You're a smart girl Annette. I imagine one way or another, you'll land where you want to. Women like us always do." Turning away she gathered up her purse and coat. "Well I need to get going, it's been rather a trying day." Helen looked back at her, expression thoughtful. "I do hope we cross paths again my dear."

Annette watched as she headed for the door. Before she could leave she called out, "Aren't you going to ask for the money back?"

Helen paused on the threshold, looking back at her with a real smile. "You do remind me so much of myself at your age."

"Woopty fucking do," she sneered. It was a juvenile response, but she wasn't feeling particularly mature at the moment. Helen didn't seem bothered, leaving a peel of light laughter in her wake as she exited the house.

Annette stood in the quiet room, trying to assess how she felt. She felt overwhelming rage but also an odd sort of acceptance. After all she knew this was coming on as soon as she spotted Helen enter that auditorium with those police officers. Maybe deep down she knew this would never fully work out.

Her gaze traveled the room before landing on a small ugly choochkie of the lord her grandmother had gifted her father a few Christmases back. Annette hated the thing. Picking it up she chucked it across the room with a roar of anger, watching as it met its fate against the opposite wall, breaking instantly on impact. Unlike her ex, who seemed to take pleasure in breaking things when angry Annette felt nothing at all. She felt completely dead inside.

"You really are back to square one Hargrove."

* * *

Shuddering as the wind whipped against her bruised face, Kathryn wrapped her leather jacket tighter around herself. Dark ominous storm clouds overhead threatened rain. Any half way rational human being would recognize that this was not the day to be loitering around outside on school grounds, evidenced by the fact there wasn't another person around as far as the eye could see. Still she remained where she was huddled under the old oak tree on the far side of campus, smoking her contraband cigarette, content with the quiet.

It was the last period of the day, a free period for her. Normally she would have spent it with her minions she called friends. Given recent events however, it was the last thing she was in the mood for. Her 'friends' were talking to her again, thanks in part to her likely retaining her student body president position but mostly because she created a bright new target for then to mock and ridicule. She knew if she showed up all they would want to talk about was Annette and she really wasn't up for it.

Which was fucking annoying because there was nothing more Kathryn loved than a good kill and this was one for the record books, impressive even by her own high standards. She didn't just take Annette down, she completely annihilated her future. It was already all over campus that she was being quietly expelled. She was done in Manhattan, probably Yale too. She never had to see her again. Kathryn had won.

Then why did she feel like slitting her wrists?

Point of fact Kathryn had never done well with guilt, just like any other emotion that wasn't anger or lust, she tried to stub it out with one of her many vices. Cocaine, sex, shopping, eating. Something told her however, that a shopping trip to Barneys or a weekend bender with the lacrosse team captain wasn't going to make this go away.

She tried reminding herself that Annette got what she deserved. She went too far posting that video. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to jail or juvie. She knew Aunt Helen wouldn't press charges and risk creating a scandal. She'd keep it out of the papers too. Still, people talked, especially rich people. It would make it nearly impossible for her to get into an Ivy now.

Thinking about how hard Annette worked for everything she accomplished and how easily Kathryn wiped it away, guilt tugged like an unwanted hangnail, useless and painful and it pissed her off. "The bitch got what she deserved," she muttered under her breath, taking a deep inhale of nicotine. "If it was anyone else…"

But it wasn't anyone else. It was her.

Sebastian was right, god help her, she needed to just let this go. Everything was so much easier before this summer. Back then she would have snuffed out Annette and never thought anything of it. She needed to remember who she was and get things back on track. It was idiotic to get involved in this relationship in the first place. She and Annette were far too similar for it to ever really work out. They were courting disaster. Of course it found them.

She'd concentrate on realigning her reputation. Just because there was a bight, new scandal for everyone to gossip about, didn't mean that had forgotten about her little indiscretion. It was going to take a lot of work to get her back to where she once was. As for Sebastian…

God, she had been a mess. Fucking him, might not have been the smartest move given her ever increasing erratic emotional state. Fuck, had she cried at one point? She shuddered in embarrassment, but he had been good about it. Almost kind. So not Sebastian.

"_We could be happy. We could be epic."_

His words echoed in her head like some kind of taunt. For years that was all she wanted, but now, after everything they'd done to each other she didn't see how. She also knew she couldn't trust him. There was no way he was letting his vendetta go so easily.

But then she remembered that night in the library and she remembered how he'd taken care of her the night before and part of her desperately hoped he'd meant it. Maybe for once in their lives, they were being honest with one another. However, the more rational part of her brain recognized that as idiotic mush and if she and Annette were courting disaster, she and Sebastian might as well be courting the apocalypse.

Glancing down at her watch she realized the final bell was about to sound, signaling the end of school. The student body president winner would be announced shortly after and she couldn't miss that. Stubbing out her cigarette, she made a quick mental list of everything she was going need to do after her victory was announced. Everyone would expect a party, but she wasn't really feeling it, perhaps she could postpone it till next weekend.

Gathering her bag, Kathryn headed back towards the main building. She was so lost in her own thoughts she didn't notice the person approaching her until she was only a few feet away. It was Annette. Kathryn paused, feeling momentarily as if the wind was knocked out of her. Annette, paused too before hiking her bag higher on her shoulder and resuming her stride. Kathryn thought she might walk right past her, but instead she slowed her approach. Kathryn met her half way.

"Hey," she greeted her lamely.

"Hey," Annette parroted back. Her gaze was guarded, and her posture was stiff, but at least she didn't look like she was about to punch her in the face. In fact she seemed rather mellow, all things considered. "How's your face?"

Kathryn flinched at the question before her hand came up, touching her face almost unconsciously. "It's…fine. It will probably hurt more tomorrow. You?"

Annette was wearing more make-up than normal, but you could still see her bruised lip and the faint outline of a bruise forming under her eye. "I'm alright. You have a nice right hook for a girl who's never even made her own bed before."

"My trainer has been having me do boxing. Something about working out my aggression in a healthy way."

"He sounds like he's earning his paycheck."

Kathryn marveled at the mundane conversation given the events of the day. She suspected neither one of them had any fight left. She sure as hell didn't.

"So," Annette sighed, "I guess a 'fuck you' is in order."

Crossing her arms to her chest, she defensively replied, "I warned you."

"Yeah you did, but I guess I have a horrible habit of underestimating you. So, how'd you do it? I mean Anna? She's as straight as they come. What the fuck could you possibly have had on her?"

"Everyone has something to exploit, a bad habit, money troubles, a broken heart. It's just a matter of uncovering it." Kathryn hesitated a moment before revealing how she did it. Annette of all people would appreciate it. "Anna is in love with her doorman. She's been seeing him in secret for the past six months. When her parents found out they had him deported back to Guatemala. Mother has a lawyer that dabbles in immigration law and because I let him feel me up at our last Christmas party, he agreed to arrange the doorman's return to the states. Jose is on a plane back to New York as we speak, and Darryl is setting him up with a place to live and a new job. Anna, as you can imagine, was very grateful."

Annette let out an incredulous laugh. "Wow. You went international to take me down. I'm flattered."

"Impressed?"

"Kind of, yeah." Annette ran a hand through her hair and shifted the box, Kathryn just realized she was carrying in her arms. Glancing at it she noticed it was things from her locker. A strange, unwanted lump formed in her throat. "So, do you think it was worth it?"

Kathryn blinked at the question. She wasn't sure if she was referring to her revenge or their relationship. "I don't know yet," she replied honestly.

An awkward silence fell between them. Kathryn knew she should leave, but she couldn't make herself go just yet, knowing this was very likely the last time they might ever see each other. "When are you leaving?" she finally asked, too chicken shit to bring anything else up.

"Eager to get rid of me, huh?" Annette asked, with a sly smile. When Kathryn didn't return it she replied, "Tomorrow night."

She nodded. Another silence fell between them. In the distance, Kathryn heard the bell ring. She was about to leave when Annette remarked, almost wistfully, "We really fucked things up didn't we?"

"I'd say so." Kathryn inhaled a shaky breath. A knot began to form in her stomach. She had to tell her. After everything she deserved at least that. "Just so you know, I still…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentiment. She didn't need to.

"Yeah me to," Annette murmured, her cool confidence fading. Gazing off into the distance she added quietly, "I probably always will. Kind of fucked up, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well, we're kind of fucked up."

"No argument here. Well, I have to get going and you have a presidency to regain." Annette, shifted on her feet, her guard coming back up again. "Goodbye Kathryn."

"Bye"

Annette nodded once then walked past her, heading back to Covington house. Kathryn forced herself to march back to the school, ignoring the sickness that settled uncomfortably in her stomach. She didn't look back. She suspected Annette didn't either.

* * *

The typical end of school chaos greeted her when she entered the building. Students, eager and giddy, to get to their after-school activities raced down the hall. Boys, loud and boisterous tried to out do each other with their obnoxious behavior. Overhead, one of the student aid flunkies was giving closing announcements that no one was paying attention to. It was all terribly annoying. It didn't even register with Kathryn.

If people were still staring and gossiping about her, she didn't notice. Walking as if in a fog, she was still caught up in her final goodbye with Annette. The conversation replayed in a loop inside her head. She was starting to think it would have been so much better if she had just punched her and walked off. As it was, she felt as if she just got the shit kicked out of her anyway.

Glancing up, she noticed Ainsley and some of her other cronies down the hall, huddled by her locker. In no mood to deal with them or their incessant questions, Kathryn quickly ducked into a lavatory. It was blessedly empty. Standing in front of the mirror she examined her reflection. Her exhaustion was peaking out behind her tired, still-hungover eyes. The make-up she applied after her fight with Annette was starting to wilt and her bruises and scrapes were beginning to show through. She needed to go home and have a nice soak in her tub. But first she had to reclaim her presidency.

Pulling out her cross, she examined it, contemplating a bump. She was craving it, but she was already under the microscope as it was. Kathryn thought it better not to risk it.

"Good afternoon students," the headmasters booming voice crackled through the loud speaker overhead. "I'm happy to announce we have the results of the student body president election. I know this has been a long, arduous road for some of you and it's been a lot of hard work, but hopefully it has taught you some important lessons about the democratic process in action…"

As he continued to prattle on Kathryn momentarily tuned him out as she fixed her lipstick and mentally went over her acceptance speech. She forced a large smile that even to her own eyes looked a little fake. Not that it mattered.

"And your new student body president is…"

Kathryn let her reflection relax into her more authentic, sharp smile as she said aloud, "Here we go."

"_Sebastian Valmont_!"

For a brief second she honestly thought she heard him wrong. The thunderous roar of approval that sounded on the other side of the bathroom door told her otherwise.

Gathering her bag, she stormed over to the exit, throwing open the door. The chaos that greeted her earlier was now ten fold. People were shouting, cheering, laughing. An excited cheerleader, ran past her nearly knocking her down, not stopping to apologize. Kathryn stared down the hall to find Sebastian surrounded by well wishers, congratulating him. A couple of jocks even tried to lift him in the air. Kathryn's shock soon turned to disgust at the revolting display.

"Never thought the son of a bitch would pull it off."

Kathryn looked over her shoulder to find Blaine standing behind her, his expression clouded in bemusement as he stared at the scene down the hall. "This school is filled with morons and degenerates," she sneered bitterly, "Of course they voted for him."

"Actually princess, I was referring to his revenge." Kathryn looked back at him curious where he was going with this. "You and Hargrove are no more. She's being shipped back to the farm as we speak, you lost the election, not to mention a good chunk of your rep and, well, he's king of the mountain again." With a sharp, knowing look he added, "I guess we both underestimated him, huh?"

Dread began to gather in Kathryn's stomach as she watched her stepbrothers jubilant expression from afar and Blaine's words sunk in. How was it that she hadn't noticed that everything that had happened the past few days had perfectly aligned with Sebastian's agenda? Perhaps it was a coincidence, then again…

"_You're just a toy Sebastian. A little toy I like to play with."_

Suddenly Kathryn was finding it difficult to breath. Had she really allowed herself to be played so easily?

"Hey," Blaine murmured quietly against her ear. "Seriously, are you okay?"

For once in her life Kathryn was completely honest with herself. "No, I'm not."


	26. The Emotional Annihilation

**Chapter 25: The Emotional Annihilation**

* * *

Sebastian awoke to someone knocking on his skull. It was _annoying_.

"Ugh," he grumbled swatting whomever it was away. "What the fuck? Oh, it's you."

He lifted his tired lids just high enough to peak out and find a grinning Blaine sprawled out on the bed beside him wearing a perfect pressed school uniform and an obnoxious orange pocket square. Fucking wonderful. "Morning to you too sunshine," he greeted him with his phony lisp. "You missed first bell."

"What a tragedy," he mumbled into the pillow.

"It is if you hope to graduate this year."

Sebastian groaned as he rolled over on his back. Glancing around he realized he was in Blaine's dorm room, in Blaine's bed. _Interesting_. "They made me president. They wouldn't flunk me."

"I wouldn't test Hargrove on that." Blaine got up from the bed and retrieved something from the desk. Turning around he handed him some pills and a bottle of water. Sebastian took them without question, only mildly disappointed when he discovered they were only aspirin.

"Why am I here? Did we…?"

Blaine grinned, eyes rolling to the ceiling before he flounced down beside him. "Trust me if we had you'd remember. Besides," he sighed, casually trailing a finger up his friend's bicep, "You know I've taken a moratorium on straight boys."

"Have you broken the news to McConnell yet?"

Blaine let the comment lay there. "I found you passed on in the east wing of the girl's dormitory," he explained, fiddling idly with the end of his tie. "Had a couple of freshman newbs carry you back before Mrs. Cartwright caught you and expelled your delectable ass for good."

Sebastian had no memory of this. "How I'd wind up there?"

"Shit if I know. I kind of lost track of you last night after you left the party with half the girls gymnastics team."

He had a few vague recollections of the night before, most of them involved booze and drugs and naked, cartwheeling females. Sebastian grinned, sinking back into the warm bed. "That was an epic party last night."

Blaine shrugged, unimpressed. "It was okay for a Monday night. You were clearly in your element. It's been ages since I've seen you party that hard."

Sebastian thought he heard some kind of insinuation in the remark, but he chose to ignore it, replying airily, "I had every reason to celebrate. Did Kathryn ever show up?"

His dark eyebrows rose, bemused. "Where you seriously expecting her to?"

"I thought she might try to be the better person." Turning over he searched for a cigarette on Blaine's messy bedside table, before finding a pack of Marlboros under a rolled up copy of _New York_ magazine.

"Not unless she had some kind of brain injury I'm unaware of. Honestly, Valmont, after yesterday I'm shocked your balls are still attached."

Sebastian lit up and took a deep drag of nicotine. Smiling around the bud in his mouth he crowed, "It really was a takedown for the ages. Not only did I steal the election from her, but I successfully manipulated her into destroying the only person she's ever loved. Epic."

Blaine's expression became contemplative. "Do you really believe that?"

"Oh yeah, you should have seen the look on her face when I reminded her that a future with Annette would always mean coming in second place. It was killer."

"That's not what I—never mind," Blaine waved away the thought with an irritated huff. "Look, I'll admit I never thought you'd pull it off."

"And I'm not done yet."

"Oh?"

Sebastian flicked his ashes away. "Yes, I won't be completely satisfied until I completely emotionally annihilate the bitch." _Just like she did to me_.

Blaine reached over and stole the cigarette from between his fingers. Taking a drag, he advised, "You might want to rethink that."

Irritation flickered within him at the remark. Sitting up in the bed he asked defensively, "What, you don't think I can do it? Haven't I proven myself more than a match for the stepcunt?"

Blaine was, as always, unbothered by his mood shift. Letting out a little incredulous laugh he remarked, "Where's this hostility coming from? I thought you were over your whole thirst for vengeance thing. You certainly seemed to be the other night…"

Sebastian flinched at the reminder. "That was an anomaly. I would never hear the end of it from the parentals if I let her coke whore ass overdose."

Taking a drag off the cigarette Blaine considered him a beat, wry amusement crowding his face. "Valmont, do I look like one of your little debutante castoffs who eat your bullshit with a smile?"

Looking back at him, he was tempted to get up from the bed and just end the conversation there, but he was comfortable and for whatever reason, he had become accustom to confessing to Blaine lately. "I'll admit, I might have been considering letting go of my revenge after our night together," he admitted, briefly flashing back to how idiotically happy he was waking up with her in his arms. This memory was quickly replaced by look on Kathryn's face when she casually dismissed him the following night. Fury flaring back up he remarked bitterly, "That changed however when she chose that blond bitch over me. That was unforgiveable."

"The irony of course being Kathryn destroyed you for the very same reason."

Sebastian smiled without humor. "Two of a kind."

"It's why you can't destroy her, without destroying yourself."

Flopping back in the bed, he rolled his eyes at Tuttle's platitudes. "Yeah, I don't think so Oprah."

Blaine rolled over onto his side, so they were at eye level. Placing the cigarette at Sebastian's mouth's, in a gesture that could only be permitted with a past lover, he sighed, "Okay, how about this, if you take Kathryn down you won't have anyone left. There will be no one for you to play with beautiful."

Something that felt like anxiety, rose up in his chest, only to be quickly snuffed out by his hubris. Sebastian didn't need Kathryn, never had. He didn't need anyone.

Offering up his best flirtatious grin he told Blaine, "That's not true, I have you."

Blaine laughed lightly. Leaning in he placed a brief kiss on his lips and Sebastian allowed it. Pulling back Blaine smiled condescendingly. "Oh darling, I'm honored, but let's be real, you're out of my league."

* * *

"Exactly how long do you plan on staying in your pajamas?"

Glancing down passively at her at her white satin pajamas Kathryn sighed. She had literally woken up an hour ago. Leave it to her mother to be a drama queen about it.

"I told you, I have a migraine," she explained patiently while pushing her poached egg around on her plate, careful to avoid her mother's disapproving stare across the dining room table. "I just need a day to recuperate."

And several bottles of booze, but that was besides the fact.

"I'm the one who needs to take a day after the mess you made. I'm completely humiliated," her mother declared with a dramatic roll of the head. Tugging irritably on the string of pearls around her neck, her eyes narrowed spitefully at her only child. Kathryn tried her damnedest not to wither under her stare. She had been putting up with her mother's insults and bullshit since she got home from school yesterday and she had yet to break. There was no fucking way she'd give the bitch the satisfaction now.

"I'm sorry mother," she replied stiffly, meeting her stare.

"You're sorry," she echoed back mockingly. "And what's that worth exactly, hmm? Between you wadding into amateur porn and losing the election to your delinquent stepbrother, it's a wonder I don't ship you off to live with your father."

At the mention of her father, Kathryn's interest piqued. She hadn't spoken to the man in nearly ten years. She barely remembered him, which was fine. Kathryn had never pinned over a man and she wasn't about to start now. However, that didn't mean she couldn't be curious. "How is daddy?" she asked, careful to keep the interest from her voice.

"_Daddy_, I'm sure is just fine," Tiffany sneered, not bothering to hide her derision for her ex-husband. "I'm sure he's off whoring around on the Amalfi coast, burning through his family's wealth as per usual, with no interest in being a parent." Eyeing her suspiciously she added, "If you think I'm going to allow you to run away to Paris and leave me to clean up your mess, you have another thing coming."

Once upon a time, when Kathryn was very small and still possessed some shred of naivety, she used to fantasize about her father showing up to take her away from her wicked mother. He would bring her to Paris, lavish her with gifts and attention and never, ever tell her she was a disappointment. It went without saying she had long ago given up on this fantasy.

"Mother, I have no intention of going anywhere," she explained as if talking to a small child. "No one's going to chase me away. I'll admit this was a bit of misstep, but hardly a four-alarm crisis. I can come back from this. Thanks to the incident with the Hargrove girl, I'm already old news. Give me a little time to regroup and everything will be back on track in no time."

She spoke with a cool confidence she didn't feel, but it didn't matter. It was enough to get her mother off her back. "You better hope so. I don't care what you do with your life, but I'll be damned if you drag my name through the mud." Kathryn rolled her eyes as her mother got up from the table, gathering her Birkin bag, sliding her shades on. "I'm off for my treatment at La Mer. Don't forget we're having dinner to celebrate your brother's win."

Kathryn's brows lifted in disbelief although she wasn't sure why. This was a typical Tiffany Merteuil power move. Humiliate her for a loss. Well, not this time. "I'm not going to that," she sneered defiantly.

"Of course you are," her mother replied, in a tone that brokered no argument. "He's your brother and in this family, we celebrate accomplishments." That was news to her. "Maybe, this will be a lesson to you. Besides, you could do with a little humility."

That was the last fucking thing she needed. She felt as if she had injected humility into her veins and had been rolling on it for days. Kathryn could feel another argument form on her lips but decided against voicing it, knowing it would just further fuel another tangent. She just wanted her gone.

"Fine," she sighed. "Enjoy the spa."

Her mother gave her a little smug grin but not before dropping one last bon mot on her way out the door. "Oh, and by the way, you might want to watch the carbs darling."

Kathryn glared stonily at her retreating form before reaching defiantly for the bacon and shoving a hand full of it in her mouth. The salty meat tasted simultaneously sublime and revolting. She finished off the whole plate and told herself she wasn't going to get rid of it this time, if only as a fuck you to her mother.

Afterwards, as she stared down at her grease stained fingers, Kathryn wondered how her life got so fucked. Long ago, she promised herself she would never give her mother any ammunition to hurt her and here she was giving her the whole mother fucking artillery.

Getting up from the table she left the dining room, deciding she was going to spend the hours before dinner in a Xanax coma. She knew she should be strategizing about how she was going to pull herself out of this shit tornedo she had found herself in, but it could wait. Right now, she just wanted to disappear into a fog of antidepressants.

Kathryn was crossing through the parlor when Thomas the second-floor butler stopped her. "Miss? You have a visitor."

She sighed, irritated. "Who is it?"

"It's a miss—"

"It's alright Thomas," Siobhan called out as she came strutting in behind him. "There's no need for an introduction."

Thomas, looking a little uneasy glanced at Kathryn who gave a nod of acquiescence. As he left Shiv smirked tauntingly, "I think I spooked him. I'm guessing he doesn't see too many black folks up in here."

"On the contrary, he saw plenty when I was fucking your boyfriend."

The smug smile wilted, replaced by furious sneer. "You lying bitch."

"Right on one account. What do you want Siobhan?"

"I came to warn you. You're not going to get away with it."

Kathryn honestly didn't know what she was going on about and really didn't care. Going a round with Annette's little underling was the last thing she was in the mood for. With a put-upon sigh, she brushed past her to take a seat on the couch. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What have I done?"

"Bitch, do I look like those little schoolgirls who line up to suck your dick? I know exactly who you are _Kathryn_. I also know you set up Annette. You somehow got Anna St. Narc to spill all that bullshit about her. They kicked her out of school, she probably won't get into Yale now—"

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about," Kathryn interrupted her. "I haven't done anything to Annette." Examining her nails, she added, "But if I had, I'd say the bitch had it coming."

"You heartless cow," Shiv sneered looming over her. "You destroyed her life."

"Yeah, she destroyed mine first."

"She didn't mean to post that video. She was hurt and—"

"I don't give a shit about her supposed reasons. She betrayed me and she paid a price. End of story," she remarked with a flippancy she wished she could feel. "Now as entertaining as this has been, I have things to attend to. See yourself out."

Shiv shook her head, "Oh I don't think so. Annette might not be willing to fight back, but I am."

"Meaning?"

"Annette shared a few things about you with me the other night. The kind of things I imagine you wouldn't want made public. Like your little nose candy problem and your super, special relationship with your brother…" she laughed. "Just wait until Manchester hears about that. You think your rep is in the toilet now. They'll fucking eviscerate you."

Kathryn jumped to her feet, in attack mode. "If you open your mouth about any of those slanderous, _false_, accusations, I promise you it will be the last fucking thing you ever do."

Siobhan looked as if she was going to counter that threat, but she was interrupted before she could.

"I whole hearty second that statement," Sebastian came sailing into the room, sporting sunglasses and last night's suit.

Rolling her eyes Shiv sighed dismissively, "Stay out of this fuck boy."

"If only I could," he drawled, making himself a drink at the wet bar. "But you see when you threaten my sister, you threaten me and I make it a point to never allow anyone to threaten me, so you see the conundrum."

"I'm not afraid of either one of you assholes."

"You know your buddy Annette isn't the only one with a video to post…"

Shiv snickered unimpressed. "What did you tape us fucking or something? Go ahead, release it, I don't care." Glancing pointedly at Kathryn she added, "Unlike some people, I don't pretend to be something I'm not."

"Actually, it's what came before the fucking that people might find interesting. Remember, we were at that party, taking a fuck load of drugs and you decided to get chatty about that summer you spent with your family and that famous Rockstar and how you found out your dad might not be your real—"

"Jesus Christ," Shiv gasped, appearing genuinely shocked. "You wouldn't."

"Aren't you paying attention? Of course I would. I imagine it would be quite the scandal if the papers got wind of that. To say nothing of what it would do to your inheritance if it proved true." Sebastian took a chug of his scotch. "I'd think long and hard before you start throwing around threats in this house."

Shiv stared him down for a long moment, as if she was contemplating calling his bluff. Perhaps she was. In the end however, no matter how fierce she might be, Shiv did what any other person did when blackmailed. She caved. "Fine, you win. I'll keep your twisted little secret."

Sebastian grinned into his liquor. "Smart move. Now why don't you see yourself out, I'd like to talk to my sister in private."

She started to leave, with a lot less flourish then she entered with, then paused. Looking back at Kathryn she remarked, "You know she really loved you. It's a shame you didn't deserve it."

It felt like a mild sucker punch, namely because she knew it was true. After she exited Kathryn let out a long exhale, and everything she had been trying to repress since walking away from Annette, rose unwanted to the surface.

Sebastian came up behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders. "Don't let her get to you."

Something about his obviously phony concern, rankled. Jerking away from him she snapped, "She didn't."

Suddenly, she very much wished he'd go away. Her stepbrother's presence had in the past day become overwhelming and almost ominous to her. Maybe it was because for once she was on the losing end of this little game of theirs. Kathryn felt depleted, unable to keep up with whatever head game he was attempting to engage her in.

Sebastian of course would not be derailed or dismissed. "I missed you at the party," he remarked in a tone she sure he thought was genuine. He placed his hands on her waist. "It wasn't the same without you."

She doubted that. "I'm sure there was some nice little girl around to suck your dick."

He hummed absently in agreement against her ear as his hands slid up her body to cup her tits. "Yeah, but not as well as you can."

Kathryn rolled her eyes and stepped out of him embrace. "I wasn't in the mood."

Sebastian sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about the election, okay? I was as shocked as anyone that I won." Kathryn stilled with her back to him, rolled her eyes. "My offer still stands. I'll step down if you want."

"Please," she huffed, "Like I want a pity win." That would be worse than losing to him and they both knew it.

A beat of silence fell between them, easily a first and Kathryn contemplating just going to her room like she wanted, but then Sebastian had to go and poke at an open wound. "So, how are you doing, really, with her gone?"

She was stupidly grateful he hadn't mentioned her name. Careful not to let him see just how effected she was she replied airily with a forced smile, "I'm fine, I'm over it."

They both knew she was lying but he luckily didn't press. "Good. I thought we could celebrate."

"Oh? I'm afraid it's going to have to wait. The parentals are insisting on throwing you a celebratory dinner tonight."

Sebastian shrugged. "Fuck it. We'll blow it off." Closing the distance between them he pulled her in once again, pressing his forehead to hers. "I want some alone time with you."

Kathryn knew she had to be on guard with him, even though there was a part of her that dearly wanted to give in. "What did you have in mind?"

"You and me, tonight at the Baccarat, five o'clock?"

"Your fuck pad? How romantic."

"It could be"

Before anymore could be said on the subject, he was kissing her, all searching and slow, holding her face in his hands like she was precious glass. Despite herself Kathryn gave in, kissing him back, with a pathetic kind of longing until Sebastian pulled back. "Say yes?" he asked, eyes dark and seductive.

"Yes," she murmured quietly.

His answering smile was just this shy of triumphant. He gave a little nod then released her, walking away without another word. Watching his retreating back Kathryn couldn't shake the feeling that she was being set up for something. She remembered Sebastian's anger from the other morning and the look on his face when she dismissed him in favor of Annette and she knew something was coming.

She should just blow it off, she told herself, wash her hands of him completely just as she had Annette. Even as she thought it however, she knew it was impossible. Curiosity along with the faint hope that perhaps he was on the level drew her forward. She told herself she'd be prepared for whatever was coming. Kathryn wasn't stupid. She wouldn't be blindsided again.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Annette looked up from the bag she was trying to cram full of books just as Sebastian came strolling unsolicited into her room carrying a bottle of champagne. There were not enough words in the English language to explain how much she wasn't in the mood for this.

"I came to see you off," he told her, with his ever-present smug grin as he flopped down onto her bed. Snapping his sunglasses off, he rubbed the bed beside him and leered, "I thought we could have one last quickie before you set sail."

Annette mimed gagging. "Hard pass."

"What if you fuck me with your strap on and I let you call me Kathryn?" She glared at him and he laughed. "You should learn to lighten up," he chastised, mocking her with that same sentiment she once used on him.

Annette didn't have time for this. She was supposed to be all packed up an hour ago, but she procrastinated (hoping for a last minute reprieve) and now here she was rushing around like a lunatic. The last thing she needed was a visit from the manwhore of the Upper East Side. "Shouldn't you be in class?" she grumbled, pulling out a big suitcase from her closet.

"I decided to take the day off. I've more than earned it."

She dropped the heavy suitcase to the ground with a loud huff. "Oh yeah, I heard. Congratulations, it looks like Manchester got the president it truly deserves." Giving him a dismissive once over she added, "You appear to have all your limbs attached so I'm guessing Kathryn took the news better than expected."

Rolling onto his back he smiled up at the ceiling. "You could say we came to a sort of agreement."

"I somehow doubt that."

Looking back at her, he stared for a long beat before pushing off the bed. Holding up the bottle of what was no doubt expensive champagne he announced, "Let's have a drink. I think we both more than earned it."

Annette ignored him as she continued to clean out her drawers, gathering her things. All the while she wondered what he was playing at. She found she no longer really cared. After all, what more could he possibly do to her? When she turned back around, he was holding out a glass of champagne. Annette eyed it suspiciously as if he might have tampered with it before reluctantly accepting it. Sebastian held up a glass. "Let's have a toast."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, to your triumph over Kathryn."

He laughed. "Actually, I was thinking more about my triumph over _you_."

Annette's mouth paused on the glass. "Oh?"

"I loved you once you know. Not actually _you_ of course, but that girl you were pretending to be. That pure, perfect girl. I would have done anything for her, given up everything, my money, my reputation—"

"Kathryn?"

"Yep. I would have become anyone she wanted to make her happy. I would have changed my whole goddamn life for her." He laughed, bitterly, "Then you told me it was all a lie. I vowed then and there to destroy you and here we are."

"Don't pat yourself on the back too hard. You had a little help."

"Kathryn? Hmm, not quite. She really loved you. The kind of love people write songs about and go to war over. I never thought her capable, but I guessed she proved me wrong." He laughed, "You know the sad part is she _actually_ thought you two were going to live happily ever after. Had a plan and everything. Who knew under all that malefices beat the heart of a true romantic? Naturally, I had to snuff it out."

Annette swallowed uneasily as she took a small sip of champagne, careful to not react to anything he was telling her, less she give him any more satisfaction.

Turning away he mused, "Remember that time you told me about Kathryn hesitating to hurt me? Well turns out you were right. When it came time to destroy you, she definitely hesitated. Luckily I was there to set her straight."

"How?"

"I reminded her what a life with you would truly entail, how the threat of coming in second place would always be looming, how her mother would never accept her in a relationship with another woman and when she still wasn't swayed I offered her a future with me." Swinging back around, eyes gleaming with menace he revealed, "I promised her things could go back to how they were before this summer, before you. I promised to make you a distant, forgotten memory and then I told her we could be together, for real this time and she finally agreed to end you once and for all." He paused and chugged down the rest of drink. "Then I fucked her stupid." He laughed, "So I guess, maybe I was wrong, it wasn't true love between you two after all. How sad. You let your future go to shit for nothing."

"You smug son of a bitch"

Annette wanted to tell him he was lying, that she didn't believe a word of it, but of course it all tracked. Kathryn had never been able to let go of her thing with Sebastian. She had loved Annette, she believed that, but she loved Sebastian too, in her own twisted way.

Holding up her drink she told him bitterly, "Well I hope you two are very happy together." She finished off her champagne in one painful gulp.

"Well one of us will be"

"Meaning?"

"My revenge against my darling sister isn't quite complete. I can't really claim victory until I completely break her down. So tonight, when you're flying back to farm country, I'm going to take her to my room at Baccarat, I'm going to warm her up, wait until her guard is down and then I'm going to explain to her how I made her my toy, how I got her to destroy the only happiness she's ever known, all because it amused me. I'm going to give that bitch every bit of misery she gave me tenfold. When I'm done there will be nothing more than a whimpering shell of regret."

"Jesus Christ," Annette huffed in disgust. "You really are a piece of shit, aren't you? Have you even considered what she might do if you pull something like that on her? How she might hurt herself?"

Sebastian flopped back down on the bed. "I don't really care," he replied indifferently.

Annette stood over him, arms folded to her chest as she looked at him, really looked at him. "Bullshit."

"Excuse me? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, I did, and I don't believe a word of it. You won't go through with it."

Sebastian pushed to his feet, nostrils flaring. "Wanna bet?"

She shook her head at him, like he was a clueless child which she supposed in a way he was. "It amazes me that someone as supposedly intelligent as yourself can have zero self-awareness. This thing between you and Kathryn, it lives and breathes. Not even I could penetrate it and believe me I tried. Call in love or hate, it doesn't matter it's the same thing. Deep down you know that. You may talk a big game Valmont but, in the end, your first instinct is always to protect her. Even now, your stomach is in knots at the idea of hurting her."

He swallowed uneasily, his earlier confidence vanished. "If that's all true, why don't I just stay with her then, huh?"

Annette smiled wryly. "For the same reason I couldn't stay with her. You're afraid if you do, she'll swallow you whole, just like me."

"I am nothing like you," he insisted.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," she laughed as she resumed her packing. "Face it, Sebastian, you'll never be able to untangle yourself from her, but if you follow through with your stupid little plan, she might just untangle herself from _you_ for good. Then you'll truly have no one."

* * *

Kathryn brought her hand to the hotel door and hesitated. She knew what awaited her behind that door and she suspected it wouldn't be pretty. Sighing, she looked back forlorn at the elevator behind her which was slowly closing. She could make a run for it, however that felt as if she would be delaying the inevitable. Better to pull the band aid off quickly.

Swallowing her anxiety, she squared her shoulders and went into confident bitch mode. _Whatever happens, you can handle it. You can handle anything._ She lifted her hand and knocked. He didn't keep her waiting. Sebastian answered the door wearing a cashmere V-neck sweater and a soft smile that was almost shy. "Hey."

"Hello."

He stepped aside and held his arm out, "Come in."

Kathryn had never been to his fuck pad before. He wasn't lying when he said it was bigger than hers. It was a large rectangle of a room, one side featured a living room area complete with fireplace, dining room table and wet bar. The other had a large, four poster bed, sitting up on risers, the color scheme was all black and white modern. The far back wall was filled with floor to ceiling windows. Panes of glass opened on the city, inky and glittering stretched out around and below them. Scanning the room, Kathryn's eyes landed on the bucket of champagne and two flutes. Immediately her stomach filled with dread.

Christ, she hated being right all the time.

Sebastian came up behind her and took her coat. "You look gorgeous," he murmured against her neck. He wasn't wrong, she looked fantastic in the deep maroon dress that hugged her body like a second skin and made her B cup tits look like D's. Looking back at him Kathryn noticed him gaze appreciably at her body, before offering up that same, phony sincere smile she'd witnessed him use on a hundred girls before. He never would have dared use it on her because she would have seen through it in an instant. Except she hadn't seen through. Not yesterday at least. Maybe even before that. Kathryn swallowed uneasy recognizing the lie she let herself believe.

Crossing the room, he went to the bucket of ice and held up the champagne bottle. "I thought we could celebrate." An icy chill ran through her. So that was the game then. He was going to reenact that afternoon in her bedroom. Not super original, but she supposed that wasn't the point.

Kathryn forced a smile. "Great. I could use a drink."

As she watched him pour, she quickly weighed her options. She could feign an excuse and run out of there, but Kathryn wasn't one to run from things. Besides, it was too late to flee. The only way out was through. Perhaps she could distract him.

Sebastian handed off a glass to her. She noted the way his eyes became darker, his smile a little sharper. "How about a toast," he announced grandly.

No fucking way. Kathryn set down her glass on the makeshift bar then grabbed him by the back of the neck and kissed him for all she was worth. She half expected him to shove her off, like he did that time when he rejected her for Annette. He didn't. Instead, he kissed her back with equal fervor, eager hands circling around her back to draw her closer.

They stumbled back towards the bed. Kathryn tried to figure out her next move, but she kept getting distracted by his roving hands. Collapsing on the mattress, she took the lead, straddling his lap, grabbing his face, letting him know she was the one driving this thing. He was hard against her thigh, not exactly a surprise but a good sign at least. Her hands went for his belt as he kissed his way down her neck, nipping at her collarbone. "Such an eager little slut," he snickered against her neck.

Something in his tone screamed at her to hit pause on this. It wasn't a jovial, playful taunt like they normally shared. It was mean.

Pretending to ignore it, she grabbed him by the face again and kissed him. This time he pulled away laughing. Cupping her face he remarked, "Oh sis. Look at you, always so willing and eager to be someone's cum bucket."

That did it.

Kathryn jerked back. "Stop it," she hissed warningly at him.

"Why? If memory serves, dirty talk gets you off." He laughed, tracing a finger down her cleavage. "Well everything gets you off. Even lame ass Court could get you off. What do you call that sort of woman?" His answering smile was taunting and cruel. Before Kathryn could form a response, he tossed her unceremoniously off his lap and got off the bed. "On second thought, I'm not really in the mood."

"Since when?" she demanded, tossing her hair out of her face.

"Since always," he snapped, wheeling around to face her. "Haven't you figured it out yet? _I don't want you_. I never have."

Kathryn swallowed hard. "You could have fooled me."

"It's called acting baby. Some of us are better at it than others. Ever since that day I found you with Annette I've been plotting this. Looking for ways to weasel my way into your relationship. And you made it so damn easy. See, I knew the only way to truly destroy you was to take away the only person you loved. I manipulated both of you, played you against each other, and then I rendered the final blow. I threatened your ego and reputation, but it wasn't until I offered up a future with me that you finally turned against her. You gave up on the only person who's ever loved you for someone who fucking loathes you. I think that's the saddest thing I've ever heard. Cheers." He toasted her with his drink then chugged it. "Now, as sincerely flattered as I am that you choose me over Annette, I'm going to have to politely decline. I don't fuck losers."

Well that was rather anticlimactic. She hadn't expected him to crib so closely to her speech. It was almost disappointing. Remaining poker-faced Kathryn offered up a slow clap. "Bravo, brother dear. Seriously, I'd slap you, but I just had a manicure." She watched the triumph melt off his face, replaced with an annoyed pout. "Excellent speech, but let's be honest mine was better and much more convincing."

"Are you implying I'm lying?"

"That was the biggest load of horseshit I've ever heard," she sneered jumping to her feet. "You honestly expect me to believe you've been playing me this whole time? That night in the library? At the hospital?"

"It was all a lie," he stammered, losing ground. "Every minute of it."

"Bullshit."

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian turned around, rushing back to the champagne bottle to fill it up. She watched as he shakily poured out a glass. "Why are you really doing this?" she demanded. "Annette's gone. It can go back to how it was before."

He let out a humorless laugh, "Now who's full of it? There's no going back. You're still in love with that bitch. You're choosing me now because I'm the easier option."

"You're many things but easy isn't one of them Sebastian."

"Yeah, I'm not an idiot either. You love her."

"I do," she admitted. Then, taking a breath she told him, "But I love you too."

Sebastian's glass paused midair as he gazed at her like she just told him she planned on donating her trust fund to charity. His mouth opened and closed, his gaze looking everywhere but at her. "I don't care," he stately flatly.

Kathryn wasn't deterred. She moved into him, trying to grab hold of his gaze. "What if I told you, I love you every bit as much as I love her."

His lower lip quivered. "Th-then I would say I pity you."

"You're lying"

Sebastian let out a shaky, manic laugh, "The hell I am."

"Go ahead, call me a slut again, steal more of my lines." She moved in close until her mouth was hanging just centimeters from his own. "It doesn't matter. They're just words. You and I belong together. You know that."

Before he could argue, she grabbed him once again, pulling him into a kiss. He kissed her back, ever so slightly and Kathryn thought she was making head way with him, when he abruptly shoved her back. "Don't fucking touch me," he snarled as she tumbled back against the bed. Getting her bearings Kathryn looked up to find Sebastian looming over her shaking with some unnamed emotion.

"I don't know how to make this anymore clearer for you," he spat, her words tumbling out fast. "I despise you. I don't love you. I never have. Once upon a time you were this mythic, untouchable holy grail. I thought you were everything I could ever want but the joke was on me. You're not special Kathryn, you're not unique. You're the same as all the rest, a vapid self-involved little narcissus doomed to turn into your mother. I'll admit your afflictions made you more interesting but now I see them as the pathetic cries for help they are. You are…nothing," he was practically panting now, his words, bitten off and sharp. "Every word I wrote about you in my journal was true. You have nothing to offer anyone other than what's between your legs and let's be honest, even that is highly overrated. You're weak, useless, and worst of all boring. Do you honestly think I could love something like that, could anyone?"

"Someone did," she remarked softly. She felt something in her eye and realized to her horror it was a tear.

"Yeah and look how that turned out. Hargrove couldn't get away from you fast enough and who could blame her?" Pulling himself together, his hands still shaking, his expression still on the brink of tears, he turned away and took another sip of champagne. She wasn't sure which one of them was more affected by his little speech. "Your toxic baby," he called over his shoulder, "And I'm officially cutting the cord. This sick twisted game between us is over." Turning back around he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I win."

Sebastian slipped him sunglasses back on and approached the bed. Leaning over her he gruffly grabbed her chin. "How did you like _that_ speech?"

Kathryn jerked out of his grip and he offered up one last cool smile before storming out of there. She didn't let out a breath until she heard the heavy hotel door slam closed. Staring straight ahead in the mirror she drank in her appearance. Her dress that she thought looked sexy and sophisticated suddenly seemed cheap and desperate. Her make-up was starting to run from her tears. He was right, she was a fucking pathetic mess. In that moment she wasn't sure who she hated more, him or herself.


	27. The New Normal

**Chapter 26: The New Normal**

* * *

Kathryn gave herself exactly one week to indulge in her most destructive impulses before getting her shit together.

During the day she attended school, performing her Marcia Brady routine on autopilot, to an indifferent audience. As soon as the final bell rang however, she headed back to the city, to her fuck pad at the Four Seasons where she, as Sebastian once described in his stupid journal, spent night after night in drunken, drug-induced debauchery. She drank herself unconscious, snorted so much blow she probably permanently destroyed her nasal cavity and fucked her way through most of the male hotel staff. She never went home.

After her week of self-induced isolation was up, she emerged feeling exactly as she did the night Sebastian left her—wrung out and empty. However, she was done with the pity party crap. It wasn't getting her anywhere but hungover and miserable. It was time to head home.

When she arrived, she found her parents and Sebastian sitting down for dinner like a fucking Norman Rockwell painting. "And where have you been," her mother demanded as soon as she walked in.

For once Kathryn could give two shits about appeasing her mother. She had no problem letting her know it either. "Oh mother," she sighed, with barely concealed contempt, "Let's not pretend you actually give a fuck, shall we."

Tiffany cocked one perfectly plucked brow. "Excuse me?"

Kathryn sighed. "I have a migraine. I'll have my dinner in my room."

If her mother had some pithy comment, she didn't hear it as she turned on her Ferragamo heel and strut away. She stopped to grab her mail before heading back to her bedroom where she found Sebastian waiting in the hallway, slumped against the wall with a predatory smirk. "Well, if it isn't the disgraced former student body president," he drawled. "Where have you been all week sis? Servicing the boy's lacrosse team again?"

Kathryn walked right past him without so much as a look and disappeared into her bedroom. She made sure to lock the door.

* * *

"Miss Kathryn, we have something of a situation."

Watching as some nobody sophomore vomited up his Heineken into her mother's prized mink vase she huffed, "Yeah, I can see that."

Standing on the threshold on the east wing parlor, she observed as half of Manchester and the Upper East Side turned their palatial home into just another place to get shitfaced and make an ass out of themselves. As a rule, they didn't throw these kind of parties in their home. They attended them of course, but they left the hosting duties to the Blaine's of their world. In fact, the only kinds of parties they threw were the strictly catered affairs, wine and cheese, adults only kind of bullshit. They didn't do this teenage debauchery, cocaine on the baby grand and strip poker on the dining room table, like they were fucking suburban teenagers. They were supposed to be better than that goddammit. Apparently, Sebastian no longer cared about standards.

"Where are my parents?"

"They left this afternoon miss," Fielding the first-floor butler explained, his eyes darting about in terror. "I believe Milan this time."

"Fucking wonderful." Her Whitney committee meeting had run late. She had every intention of coming home and taking a nice long peaceful soak. Instead she found her sanctuary has been turned into a scene from _Sixteen Candles_.

"Mai-Lie is guarding your room," Fielding whispered conspiratorially. "What should we do?"

They couldn't very well throw them out. Well they _could_, only Kathryn's reputation at the moment wasn't exactly on stable ground. Adding narc to the dogpile seemed kind of suicidal. She'd have to suck it up. For now, anyway.

"Let them have their fun," she ordered, regal as a queen. "If they aren't out by one, call the police with a noise complaint."

Fielding gave a brisk nod then scurried away, likely to hide the crystal or guard the Monet's. With a heavy sigh, Kathryn stepped into the fray. She scanned the guests looking for that familiar head of blonde hair. She found him holding court among a bevy of fawning inebriated beauties. He was sprawled on the chesterfield, eyes glazed and bored. A king enjoying his winnings or pretending to at least. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up and offered her a leer. Kathryn pretended to look right through him. It had become her normal standard operating procedure for dealing with him lately. Pretend he didn't exist.

It had been two weeks since Kathryn returned home. Since then Sebastian had been partying more or less nonstop. He had never exactly been a bastion of restraint before, but this was some next level shit. Disappearing for days at a time, coming to class wasted. It was why she wasn't surprised to come home to this bullshit. She didn't know what was going on with him, if this was fallout from what went on between them or it was some kind of obnoxious bid for attention.

Walking through the party, nary a head turned her way. Once upon a time her mere presence was enough to spark everyone's attention. How the mighty have fallen. It spoke to how many rungs on the social later she had slipped that even her dipshit friends hadn't told her about this party—at her own house. Oh, people had stopped gossiping about her for the most part. Boys were no longer coughing 'slut' into their fist when she passed and the girls were talking to her again, but the bloom was most definitely off the rose. Kathryn was no longer the untouchable golden girl. Her mystique was gone and in its place she had become just another girl stupid enough to have her sexual exploits recorded to film. A basic bitch if you will. Kathryn almost preferred the former ostracization. It was better to be talked about than ignored.

She reconsidered her plan to go back to her bedroom and instead disappeared into her stepfather's study. One of the staff must have been guarding it. It was blessedly empty. Kathryn made an immediately beeline for the bar. She filled half a glass of Glenlivet and finished it in two hearty gulps, trying to will her busy mind blank. Glancing around the room however, a flash of memory threatened to swallow her whole.

"_Does daddy suspect I'm about to tongue fuck his daughter into next Tuesday?"_

"_Not likely"_

Right. Staring at the closed door, Kathryn remembered fiercely making out with Annette against it at the Manchester party. The memory hit her like a literal gut punch. Taking a deep breath, she swung back around and refilled her drink. She'd burn through her stepfather's entire liquor cabinet if it helped her forget. Unfortunately, as soon as she turned around, she found herself gravitating towards the heavy oak desk. Her hand unconsciously ran along the edge, where Annette had sat. Kathryn had slid to her knees and ate her until she begged her to stop.

"_I missed you this week."_

"_Wow that almost sounded sincere"_

"_It was sincere"_

"_Are you going soft on me?"_

She was. She was in so deep at that point she hadn't even realized it. Not until it was too late.

Kathryn gave up on trying to shut the memories out and instead let them wash over her as she took a seat on the wide leather sofa. God, she never thought she could miss anything this badly. Kathryn had always prided herself on being above everyone. People were meant to be used and discarded at will. Lovers, friends, even Sebastian who she so adored, she never truly considered an equal. Her remark about him being her toy wasn't completely off base. Annette though had been different. That girl had cut a hole in her heart so deep it wasn't likely it would ever find a way out.

Which was why she had decided she was done dicking around. She was going to get her girl back. ASAP.

The truth was this thought has been percolating over the past week or so. Sebastian could no longer be trusted to be anything other than an adversary. She had no real friends who gave a shit about her and her family was a joke. Annette was the only person she had, and she tossed her away because she fucked up.

Maybe it was more complicated than that. It didn't matter anymore. She was done stewing in misery and resentment. It was time she remembered who she was. Kathryn Merteuil didn't sit around and mope and brood. She'd save that shit for Sebastian. If she wanted something, she got it, fuck the consequences and whomever got in her way. She wanted Annette back, she'd get her back. Done.

Of course, the problem was getting her out of Kansas. In order for that to happen she'd have to get her reinstated at Manchester. Kathryn had actually been working on a plan for that, a two birds, one stone kind of deal. However, the hard part wouldn't be getting her back into Manchester but rather back in New York. She didn't see the headmaster being particularly accommodating on that front.

"Hey there"

Kathryn was jostled from her thoughts when the door opened, and Jack slipped into the room. She was genuinely caught off guard by his presence, not to say he was unwelcome. Jack had been one of the few who didn't treat her like a pariah. "Hi Jack. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, shuffling closer to her. "It's a party, right?"

"I didn't think this was your kind of scene." Jack wasn't exactly known to frequent the same circles as Blaine and his friends.

"It's not. I was hoping to see you." He gave a sheepish little shrug, that might have been pathetic on anyone else but on him was kind of endearing. "I, uh, kind of saw you sneak back here and followed. Sorry, um, can I sit?"

She laughed at his awkwardness that seemed such a stark contradiction to his normal brazen confidence. Jack Donnelly wasn't the type of guy that need ever feel awkward or unwelcomed. He was beautiful, with the kind of all-American good looks that Madison Avenue built advertising campaigns around. Tall and athletic, with a warm smile and kind eyes. Add to that he was smart, genuine and for reasons she didn't fully understand, he seemed to think he was in love with her. A claim Kathryn was more than a little dubious on.

Even still, if a handsome, adoring boy wanted to sit next to her she wasn't about to object. "Of course. Do you want a drink?"

He shook his head. "I'm not much of a drinker I'm afraid."

"Shocking"

Jack winced. "Another mark against me?"

Kathryn snorted into her scotch. "Hardly. What are you really doing here?"

"I told you, to see you. I, uh, wanted to apologize for the election."

"Oh? So, you're the one who lost the election for me, I was wondering." He winced and she realized she had to tone down the bitchiness. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I voted for you"

She lifted her glass in mock salute. "Thanks. You were one of the few, no thanks to my amateur foray into porn."

"I didn't watch it." Kathryn looked back at him and stared him down until he blushed and looked away, scratching the back of his head. "Well not _all_ of it, anyway." Funny enough she kind of believed him. "I can't believe Sebastian is our school president. It's fucking depressing."

"He's what the people want"

"A total asshole?"

"Yes, they want someone they can relate to."

Jack laughed. "With any luck he'll party himself right into rehab. I'm sure Manchester will dedicate a statue in his honor."

Her humor faded as she recalled his harsh lament in the hotel room and how he gleefully ripped into her. "He finally got everything he's always wanted."

"Student body president was all he ever wanted?"

"No, destroying me." Oops. She was getting too maudlin. She needed to stop drinking.

"I don't know, you look pretty good from where I'm sitting."

Kathryn turned to find Jack gazing at her. She licked her lips and smiled. "Are you flirting with me Mr. Donnelly?"

"Maybe"

She groaned pressing her face into the couch. "Ugh, where were you six months ago?"

"Hiding, too chicken shit to make a move. You were still my best friends' girl back then remember."

"And?"

Jack edged closer to her on the couch. "There are rules for that sort of thing"

"And you always follow the rules?"

"I try to"

Kathryn smiled faintly. "Be lucky then the timing didn't work out. I likely would have eaten you alive."

He moved in until their mouths were mere inches away. "I might have enjoyed that," he murmured.

_Shit_. Kathryn wet her lips and waited for him to inevitably move in for a kiss, only he surprised her when he asked, "So how are you doing, really?"

She blinked up at him in surprise. She tried to remember the last time someone asked her that and genuinely meant it. Working around a swallow she admitted softly, "Not great."

Jack brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Anything I can do?"

Kathryn sighed, rolling away and staring up at the ceiling. "Not unless you have something on headmaster Hargrove."

He let out an uneasy laugh. "Um, well, as a matter of fact—"

Jack was rudely interrupted when the study door flew open and Sebastian stumbled inside, looking as fucked up as she ever remembered seeing him. "Well if it isn't Captain America and the soft-core porn queen of Manchester," he slurred with a mean grin that signaled trouble. "Isn't this cozy."

"Sebastian, don't you have guests to attend to?" she asked with more patience than she was feeling at the moment.

He scowled. "Lighten up sis, this isn't a fucking tea party."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to sit her and allow him to play out whatever confrontation he had brewing in his head. He fucked with her enough for one lifetime. She turned to Jack. "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private."

"Sounds good to me."

She got up to leave, but Sebastian quickly stumbled into their path. "Oh, don't leave on my account." Kathryn brushed him aside but before they could make it to the door, he called off one last bon mot. "Hey Jack, word of advice. My sister is a hell of a fuck, but the aftertaste is a bitch."

Kathryn gaped at him, stunned that he could be stupid enough, to let _that_ slip. Momentarily forgetting they had company she was about to pounce on him when Jack stepped forward and growled, "That's _enough_ Valmont."

Sebastian let out a derisive laugh. "Oh, that didn't take long. Already, rushing to play hero I see. Let me give you a tip: that never ends well. Just ask me or Annette Hargrove. That poor bitch was in love with her and look where she ended up."

_Jesus fucking Christ. _

"I don't need any advice from _**you**_," Jack sneered turning away.

Sebastian grabbed at his arm. "Hey, just fucking stay away from her."

He looked as though he was trying to step to him, which physically was sort of laughable since Jack towered over him. In his drunken state however, Sebastian would not be deterred. He took a swing at him, that Jack easily avoided. He gave Sebastian a firm push that sent him staggering back against the couch. "Sleep it off man."

Even though she very much would have liked to lay Sebastian out herself, she instead allowed Jack to lead her from the room. Closing the door behind them Kathryn stopped outside the door. It hadn't escaped her that Sebastian had let more than a few of her secrets slip out and she had to make sure, before they took another step that Jack wouldn't open his mouth.

Before she could say anything, he took her hand. "Hey, you're shaking, Are you okay?"

God, he was right. She had to get her shit together. "He's drunk Jack, you can't believe a word out of his mouth."

He shrugged. "I don't know what you mean. All I heard was some drunk idiots' ramblings." Kathryn blinked up at him in surprise. He smiled. "Hey, do you want to get out of here?"

She nodded, grateful. "Yeah, definitely."

"Good. I have something to show you."

* * *

"Holy fucking shit"

"Is that what you were looking for?"

Kathryn reluctantly tore her eyes from the black and white photographs in her hand. For the first time in weeks she smiled, big and genuine. "It's perfect."

It wasn't hyperbole either. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect weapon to use against the headmaster. Never in a million years did she expect to receive it from a goody goody like Jack. "Where did you get these?"

He shrugged shifting back in his desk chair to turn on another light. His bedroom was a decent size, navy and nautical with heavy dark wood. Clearly everything in it had been picked out by his mother's decorator. "I was taking pictures for the Chronical at that benefit Manchester hosted last month. I honestly hadn't even realized what I captured until I developed them. Pretty shocking huh?"

"Not really. The sanctimonious are always the biggest hypocrites." Gazing at the pictures and how much she was going to enjoy watching the pompous asshole squirm she grinned. "Can you make me some copies?"

He shook his head. "You can take those. I have no use for them."

Kathryn set them aside with her bag and then turned back to consider him. Honestly, she had no idea what to make of the boy. He was Court Reynolds best friend. He was a blue blooded, Upper East Side boy to the core. By all accounts he should be the last person she should trust and yet…

He had to want something, everyone did. Nobody ever did anything for nothing, even normal people. So, the question was, what was his angle?

Sizing him up, she tried to figure out how to play this. Kathryn knew it was best to get control of a situation before it had a chance to control you. He liked her (or loved her if he was to be believed). She could work with that.

Slowly she approached him, exaggerating the sway of her hips just slightly, enough to get his attention, but not so much to look desperate. "Thank you, Jack. I don't know how I'll repay you."

His gaze flickered briefly at her breasts before returning quickly to her face. Eyes wide and guileless he told her earnestly. "You don't—you don't need to do anything. I was happy to help."

Kathryn bent forward, her arms sliding around his neck. "Oh, but I want to." Her tone heavy with implication she straddled his lap. "I _really_ want to."

Before he could respond she shut him up with a kiss. Coiling herself around him, Kathryn took full control of the situation, pleased when he easily gave into her. Jack was a good kisser. It bode well for the rest of the night.

However, just as she was snaking a hand between their bodies and going for his fly, Jack broke away, his face flushed and his eyes guarded. "Um, I don't think this is a good idea." He got up from his chair, gently casting her aside.

Kathryn sat there for a beat, stunned at the rejection. This was the second time this boy left her waiting and that would not be stood for. Watching as he took a seat on his bed across from her, his face pink with guilt she demanded, "What the fuck?"

"I'm sorry. I just don't think this is the right time."

"The right time?" she echoed, outraged. "I thought you liked me?"

"I do. I more than like you. You know that."

"Then what's the deal?" Kathryn jumped up from her seat and crossed over to him, arms folded defensively to her chest. "Are you a virgin?" She had heard idiot girls in the locker room, giggle about sleeping with him. It was where the rumors of his impressive package originated from after all, but maybe it was all bullshit.

Jack laughed and shook his head. "No, I've had sex before."

"Is it a religious thing?"

"No, I'm agnostic"

Kathryn grinned slyly. "Are you sexually confused?"

Jack took her hand and placed it on his crotch. He was hard and very, very _big_. Kathryn gasped and her mouth filled with saliva. "Does it feel like I'm confused?"

She wrapped her hand around his girth and Jack groaned, gently prying her hand off. Spoil sport. "So, what exactly is your problem? I'm more than willing." For once this wasn't bullshit. She was genuinely attracted to him and she suspected he'd be great in bed or at least a more than willing pupil. Not to mention it would probably be a nice distraction from the other disappointments in her life.

"No, you're just going through the motions. You think you have to because every guy before me has made you think of sex as a transactional occurrence. I don't want you to do this just because you think you have to."

Something about his response rubbed her the wrong way. The sanctimony that he had any idea how she ran her life or relationships. "Thanks for mansplanning that to me," she replied nastily, "But in all your supposed wisdom about my life, has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just enjoy sex? I'm sorry if it spoils whatever image you have of me floating around that head of yours, but newsflash, _I like to fuck_ and I won't apologize for it."

"I-I don't want you to. I'm sorry, you're right that sounded a little—"

"Self-righteous and condescending?"

"Yep. I sounded like an asshole, I'm sorry. It's just I don't want you to think you have to go to bed with me to appease me."

Kathryn sighed, this was exhausting. She never had to work so hard to get a boy to fuck her, especially one who claimed to be into her. "Jack, if I didn't want this, I would be out the door already, believe me." She climbed back into his lap again, wrapping her arms around him. "It's not exactly like you're unattractive." She reached between them and grabbed his dick again. "And this certainly ups the ante. Are you really as big as they say?"

"Bigger," he groaned, his eyes becoming darker. "I'd rip you apart."

This time Kathryn moaned, that little bit of dirty talk getting her going. She ground down against his lap. "I think I'd enjoy that."

She unzipped his pants and worked her hand inside. Her hand didn't even fit around his width. "Fuck. You certainly are something." Leaning in she flicked her tongue against his ear and murmured, "I'd let you put it anywhere."

Jack groaned, bucking slightly into her hand. "Um, Court said, I mean he mentioned you liked to…"

She laughed at his obvious embarrassment. "I do and I'd let you put it there to."

"You wouldn't sit right for a week."

"It would be worth it."

Kathryn kissed him again, all eager tongue and roaming hands. Jack easily reciprocated, his hands threading through her hair in a way that told her he wouldn't be quite so gentleman like in bed. Unfortunately, before things could progress, he was pulling away again. "Stop, we can't."

She tossed her head back and groaned dramatically. "Why the hell not?"

"Because you're in love with someone else."

Kathryn stilled then jerked back from him. "No, I'm not. I'm not in love with anyone."

His expression had turned somber. "Even Annette Hargrove?"

Well shit, that did it. Feeling as though a bucket of cold water has been poured all over her, she quickly scrambled off his lap and onto the bed beside him. "I thought you didn't believe any of Sebastian's drunk ramblings?"

"I don't, but I do pay attention. Nothing he told me tonight was a surprise."

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. _

Her head spinning. She wondered if it was so obvious what had been going on between her and Annette or was Jack just that observant. As if reading her mind, he explained, "You have nothing to freak out over. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one paying close enough attention to notice. Although, you two weren't exactly subtle. The way she looks at you, the way you look at her, to say nothing of this whole election fiasco…that's what you want the pictures for right? To blackmail the headmaster into bringing her back to New York." Kathryn nodded. "Thought so. You're in love with her." It wasn't a question, but she didn't deny it, she didn't say anything. "And Sebastian, are you in love with him too?"

"Sebastian is a fucking yeast infection who should have been drowned at birth."

Jack smiled wryly. "That wasn't exactly a denial."

Kathryn shook her head, looking away. "It went without saying."

"I always suspected your relationship with him wasn't strictly familial. Court used to make jokes about it."

"Fucking fantastic." She ran an irritated hand through her hair, contemplating her next move. Jack knew way too much about her for her liking. Eying him distrustfully she asked, "So if you don't want sex to keep you quiet, what do you want?"

For the first time that evening he appeared offended. "Nothing. Shit, Kathryn, I told you I _like_ you. I just want to be friends."

Obviously, she regarded this with skepticism. "Just friends?"

He looked away with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head. "Well, okay, not just friends. Look I know you're in love with Hargrove, and I respect that, but let's be real, high school love doesn't last. I'm a patient guy and I'm in this for the long haul, so until that day comes, yes I'd like to be your friend."

Kathryn honestly had no idea what to make of this. She was so used to boys being cagy and manipulative, she didn't know what to do with an honest one. Her normal instinct was to call BS but something told her he was on the level, which in a way, was even more concerning.

Trying to wrap her head around this she asked, "What exactly about me do you find so appealing?"

Jack gave her a not so innocent once over. "You mean outside of the obvious? You're smart and sexy and mean and maybe a little sad."

Kathryn winced at that last description. "So that's it then, you want to rescue me? Mold me into a more healthy version of myself? No thanks. I like who I am."

"Yeah, so do I. Kathryn I have no interest in changing you. I want you just how you are."

"Something tells me we are very different people."

He moved closer to her on the bed. "I think you're right, but I think that's a good thing. Similarities breed contempt."

"I believe the phrase is _familiarities_ breed contempt, but I agree either way."

Jack slipped his hand into hers, smiling. "See, we get along already. I think we'd make a good team. I'd appreciate you. I wouldn't try to change you. I'd make you happy."

Unlike _them_, it went without saying. Kathryn exhaled a shaky breath. She could see how it could be easy with him. She always said she wanted someone to worship and adore her. If she was half as smart as she thought she was she would forget all about Sebastian and let Annette rot in Kansas. She would choose Jack. Instead, she was trying to think of the best way to let him down easy.

Changing the subject, she asked, "How on earth are you best friends with Court?"

He shrugged. "He's no worse than Sebastian."

Kathryn could see how to an outsider that would be true. On paper Sebastian was every bit as despicable as Court, even more so really. But she had spent years with Sebastian and even though he had hurt her probably worse than anyone she could say without fail he was ten times the human being Court was. Maybe she didn't know Court as well as Jack, but she had dated the idiot for nine months, so she knew him pretty well. He was shallow and self-involved and worst of all boring.

However, she wasn't really in the mood to start an argument about it, especially with a boy who had been so needlessly sweet to her, so she simply said, "You have a point there."

"I don't know, I guess I've always had something of a blind spot where Court is concerned."

_More like a whole continent. _

"I should get going." Kathryn got off the bed and went to retrieve her bag. "It's late. I should probably make sure Sebastian hasn't burned the house down."

"Why don't you spend the night here?"

Her eyebrows rose at the question as she sidled up to him. "Have you changed your mind?"

"No." Jack bent down and kissed her nose. "I just don't like the idea of you going back to that house with Sebastian in the state he's in. Besides, you'll probably get a better night's sleep here."

She couldn't argue with that. "Are you offering me a guest room or…"

"Um, no." He blushed, wetting his lips. "I thought you could share my bed. It would save any awkward run in's with my parents or the staff."

Kathryn nodded sagely. "Of course. I'll be right back."

She slipped off to the bathroom, to clean herself up. For a brief moment she considered coming out naked, just to stun him but thought better of it. Jack had been more than decent to her. More so than any other boy she'd ever known. She didn't want to mock him.

When she emerged, she found he had laid out a couple of different options for her to sleep in. "Take what you want," he remarked as he stood on the other side of the bed, removing his shirt.

_Goddamn_. This was going to be tough.

Kathryn took a navy silk men's button up pajama shirt from the pile of items and undressed, keeping her back to him, enjoying the way his breathing seemed to hitch when she removed her dress. She slipped the shirt on then turned around. He watched her, eyes heavy with arousal. Unable to resist she shimmied out of her underwear and tossed them aside. He audibly groaned. "What?" she asked innocently. "I don't sleep in my panties."

"You're going to kill me."

Giggling she slipped into the bed, sliding between his cool Egyptian cotton sheets. She half expected Jack to stay firmly on his side of the bed, so she was surprised when he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against him. Kathryn didn't mind at all. She cuddled against his chest, breathing in the warm, masculine scent of him, trying to remember when the last time she slept with a boy without having sex.

(It was Sebastian. It was always Sebastian)

Glancing up at him she noticed him grinning at the ceiling. "What are you smiling about?"

He laughed a little. "I can't believe I'm in bed with Kathryn Merteuil."

"Hmm, and just think, if you weren't so caught up in your stupid romantic ideals, Kathryn Merteuil could be sucking your cock right now." Leaning in she flicked her tongue against his ear tauntingly. "And PS she's _really_ good at it."

Jack groaned. "I have no doubt she is. I'm trying to be a gentleman here."

"How boring."

He turned his head, kissed her briefly on the mouth. "Be good Kathryn. Go to sleep."

For the first time in weeks, cozied up against a boy she barely knew, Kathryn slept peacefully.

* * *

"Well, this is certainly very compelling information." Helen set her teacup down with a gentle thud and pursed her lips. "I just can't believe Sebastian would engage in behavior like this."

Yeah, somehow Kathryn doubted that. Dear old aunt Helen might have a blind spot for her favorite (read; only) nephew, but even she had to realize the boy was a demon seed. Still, Kathryn gave the pretense that she too was just shocked by all of this, while at the same time handing over a signed affidavit from Anna admitting Sebastian blackmailed her into falsifying information against Annette. "I know, I was just as shocked as you are." Kathryn paused and purposely let her gaze falter, as if this was all just too difficult to talk about. "But I knew something had to be going on with him. All these terrible things happening around the election, it was just too much of a coincidence."

"I just can't believe Sebastian would go so far just to win a school election," Helen exclaimed, mystified. "I mean burning down that building, blackmailing that poor girl, framing Annette."

"Not to mention releasing that video of me."

Helen shook her head is dismay. "Yes, it's all very disturbing." Setting the documents aside she reached over and took Kathryn's hand. "I want to thank you for bringing this to my attention, but we have to tread carefully. We can't throw around accusations until we have all the facts."

_I just handed you the facts on a goddamn silver platter_, she thought bitterly. Kathryn's spidey senses were starting to tingle that Aunt Helen wasn't going to go along with this as easily as she hoped. On the drive down to the Long Island estate she had ran through many different scenarios how this would play out. She had a contingency plan all ready if the old bitch didn't want to play ball, but she rather not play that card if she didn't have to.

Still, she was annoyed all the same.

Pulling her hand back pointedly from her aunt she spat, "How much more proof do you need? I have people willing to go on the record that Sebastian bribed and blackmailed them."

"Dear, there's no reason to get upset."

"He humiliated me, stole the election and you're telling me to let it go."

"That's not what I said. I'm saying there's no sense in causing a scandal if there needn't be one." Helen got up and casually began to examine a new arrangement of flowers she was setting when Kathryn arrived. Speaking over her shoulder, her tone frustratingly pleasant she continued, "After all what's done is done. I know you're disappointed with the results of the election, and I agree Sebastian should face consequences—in private. We won't be dragging the families name further into the mud. That video of yours did enough damage as it is."

Kathryn was so furious she wanted to hurl the dumb bitch's teacup at her. However, she was careful not to let it show. Clearly getting mad wasn't helping, all it was doing was getting her slut shamed. Refusing to back down she squared her shoulders and looked her aunt dead in her eye. "I want Annette reinstated at Manchester. She did nothing wrong and the least we can do in let her back in the school."

To her surprise, Aunt Helen let out a tinkling laugh. "So that's what this is all about then. You want your girlfriend back."

Kathryn's mouth actually fell open at that and before she could process a reaction the older woman continued, "And here I thought you did all this scheming for a nobler reason. I actually let myself hope you were feeding your ambition instead of your libido." She shook her head. "How disappointing. Oh well, I suppose I should just be grateful you're pursing Ms. Hargrove instead of your brother this time." She laughed again, clearly pleased by her own cleverness. "I'm sorry, have I shocked you into silence? Did you honestly think I was just your doddering old aunt who had no idea what was going on under her own roof?"

Did she? Not really. She always suspected the old bat was playing them, but honestly, she never cared that much to look into it. She should have known, nobody's what they seem. Not wanting to give the bitch the satisfaction she replied, honey sweet, "On the contrary, I just won a bet with your nephew. I always told him you were full of shit. I enjoy being right."

"Well I'm happy I could help you dear."

Kathryn got up from her seat and unceremoniously dumped her teacup out into her aunt's flower arrangement before heading to the bar. As she fixed herself a scotch, she asked off handedly, "So you and Mr. Carter are you two…"

"Going on thirty years now."

Kathryn grimaced at the image of Aunt Helen and the bony chauffer screwing. "Ugh, there's an image I would rather have taken to my grave."

Aunt Helen sat back down, serving her with a wryly amused look. "Alright, cards on the table, what are you hoping to accomplish with all of this?"

Kathryn took a long pull of scotch, relishing making her squirm. "I want Sebastian expelled and exposed. I want Annette reinstated back at Manchester. If you don't, I'm taking the evidence to every rag and gossip blog in the city. Imagine the scandal, the most important prep school in America covering up the crimes of its matriarch's problematic nephew. Twitter will feast for weeks."

Helen rolled her eyes. "People of your generation are so dramatic. There's no need to resort to blackmail. We'll compromise. I can reinstate Annette, but I won't expel Sebastian. That will be kept in house." When Kathryn rolled her eyes Helen argued, "Trust me, I'm doing you a favor. This family cannot afford another scandal."

Kathryn wasn't surprised by this. The truth was she knew Helen wouldn't turn on Sebastian, not willingly at least. She'd have to deal with him on her own.

"Fine, but not only will you allow Annette back to Manchester, but you'll give her a full scholarship to the Ivy of her choosing and a public apology."

"My aren't we generous," Helen mocked. She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "I agree to your terms. Do we have a deal?"

It wasn't Sebastian's head on a stick, but it would do for now. Kathryn stepped forward and shook her Aunts hand then tugged her close. "And another thing, if you every try to slut shame me again, I'll tell my mother all about you and Mr. Carter. You know that deranged bitch will seduce him just to spite you."

Helen released an unimpressed little snort of agreement. "Understood."

Releasing her, Kathryn strut away and gathered her things, leaving the evidence against her stepbrother. She had copies.

"You know before Annette left, I gave her some advice and I'm compelled to give it to you as well." Holding a stiff upper lip Helen told her loftily, "Ambitious women can't afford to be ruled by their heart."

Kathryn stared back at her unimpressed. "Thanks for the advice Eleanor Roosevelt, but I don't intend to live my life based on some idiotic outdated notions of what a ladies priorities should be. I'll fuck who I want, do as I wish, and nobody, including you dearest aunt is going to tell me how to run my life."

Her aunt merely lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you'd say as much." With a sardonic smirk, Kathryn slipped on her over sized shades and headed for the exit when she called out to her, "By the way dear, I can only reinstate Miss Hargrove. I can't bring her back to New York. How on earth do you intend to get the headmaster to agree to let her come back?"

Kathryn smiled wide and confident. "Oh, don't worry, I more than have it covered. Annette will be back in New York by tomorrow."

* * *

Sebastian was in the closet. Literally. He woke up that morning, his head feeling like it had just been pureed in a blender, his eye lids so heavy he could barely get them open. When he did manage to pry them open, he looked around to find he had passed out on the floor of his walk-in closet. Naked. Two topless chicks were wrapped around his torso. He didn't recognize either of them. _Wonderful_.

This was starting to become a regular occurrence with him, waking up in a strange location, feeling like death, surrounded by half naked strangers. Honestly, at first it wasn't so bad, actually it was kind of fun, but it was quickly growing old fast. Who would have thought that by eighteen he'd already be bored with partying all night and anonymous sex with beautiful women? God it was depressing.

Pulling himself up, squinting against the dim light of the closet, Sebastian tried to recall how he ended up there but drew a blank. He lumbered to his feet, gazing scornfully at the girls still passed out on the floor before scourging for a pair of boxer shorts. Stumbling in front of the mirror he winced when he took in his appearance. He looked like shit. There were dark bags under his eyes, a scrape on his chin and his nose was red and puffy from all the blow. On top of it, his dick was sore. That couldn't be good. Yeah, he definitely had to start cutting back on the partying.

Stumbling out of the closet, he grimaced when he saw the state of his bedroom. It looked like a fucking cyclone hit it. Bottles and glasses everywhere, furniture turned over, even his beloved books hadn't remained unscathed. Picking up a first edition Hemmingway that had some pages torn out he cursed, "Motherfucker."

Clutching he damaged book to his chest he wandered further into the room noticing for the first time that there were even more scantily clad women passed out. Two in his bed, one on the sofa and another in his desk chair. Where the hell had they all come from? Did he fuck all of them?

God, it had been epically stupid to throw a party at his house. He never hosted parties there, this was supposed to be his sanctuary. Now it smelled like a Tijuana brothel. Why had he thought this was a good idea? Oh right, to piss off Kathryn. Behold his success. The bitch hadn't even stayed the night. He knew. He had checked.

Sebastian had actually remained relatively sober for much of the evening as he waited for his sister to arrive. He expected a confrontation from her, hell he was anticipating it. Ever since the scene in the hotel room Kathryn had been ignoring him. Not just the silent treatment, but literally looking right through him like he didn't exist. He dragged conquests back to the house in droves, practically fucked his dick raw through all of Manhattan and it seemingly made no difference to her. He figured the party was just the thing to bait her into fight mode, but he was left bitterly disappointed. The party hadn't earned him so much as a heated glance.

Instead, where did he find her, cozied up with that Donnelly prick. She left with him to,o. Well fuck her he didn't care.

Except maybe he kind of did.

It turned out victory may be sweet, but it was also boring as fuck. The initial high he experienced at beating the girls basically wore off with the first hangover when he woke up realizing he had nothing to do and nobody to talk to. Which was perplexing, because he had a life before all of this, didn't he? He had goals, ambitions, or maybe not. Come to think of it his life kind of revolved around Kathryn and their games and without that there wasn't much left. Sebastian tried to concentrate on returning to who he once was, the prince of pussy, the Upper East Side lothario, the boy everyone loved to hate. He dove in head first, more ravenous then ever, but it didn't matter. Every morning he woke up with the same empty, hollow feeling in his chest. Nobody to talk to, nothing to look forward to.

Fuck. The worst part of this was Tuttle was _right_.

Sebastian got everything he wanted. Victory over his stepsister. Revenge on Hargrove. He should be taking a victory lap, enjoying himself to the fullest, not brooding like a teenage girl because he had _lonely_.

Glaring at his reflection in the smudged mirror over his bed he sneered, "Get it together you pussy."

"Hmm…what you say baby?"

The strawberry blond with large breasts and a tribal tattoo on her ankle stirred in her bed. Sebastian glared at her disdainfully. "Nothing," he spat, petulantly.

"Come back to bed."

"I'm not in the mood."

Sebastian was about to tell her to get washed up and get the hell out when he heard the familiar sound of Louboutins on parquet. He would know that tread anywhere having spent many an evening listening for it, holding his breath, waiting to see if she'd deign to visit him.

The girls in his bed starting chatting. "Hey, do you think we could—"

"Shut up," he snapped, his tone short and clipped.

Then, before he had a chance to really think it over, he strode to the door and threw it open, only to find the hallway empty. Looking down the hall he watched Kathryn strut across the parlor, behind Mai-Lee who was carrying an overnight bag. Sebastian wasted no time following after her.

"Going somewhere sis?"

She didn't break stride and she didn't turn around, but she did speak to him. "Yes, out of town for a few days." Her tone was flat and emotionless, the same one she used when speaking to the help.

"Where are you going?"

No answer. Kathryn kept walking and Sebastian could feel his annoyance mounting until he finally reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She immediately spun around and tossed him off, her face a mask of indifference. "If the parentals call, tell them they can reach me on my cell."

"Out of town with a new lover perhaps?" When his taunt was met with a blank stare he demanded, "Is it Donnelly?"

Nothing. Sebastian wanted to stomp his foot and scream. "_Say something,"_ he demanded, petulance dripping from every syllable.

Kathryn sighed. "Such as?"

"Stop acting like this robotic debutante. Be normal."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh bullshit," he spat, "You're being childish. Whatever game you're playing, this stupid silent treatment…I'm not impressed alright."

Kathryn stared at him a beat before glancing at her watch. "I don't have time for this. I'm going to be late and you have someone waiting." She gave a brief nod, indicating something over his shoulder.

Sebastian turned to find one of the girls from last night, the same one who wanted breakfast loitering on the edge of the room. Thankfully, she had enough sense to throw a shirt on. Too bad she hadn't bothered to button it.

Kathryn turned to leave, but this time he reached out and grabbed her hand. "Just tell me where you're going." Christ, he sounded pathetic.

"Why?"

"I just…" He realized then that he was scared. He couldn't remember a life without Kathryn in it and the prospect of losing her, _really_ loosing her was terrifying. As Sebastian struggled for something to say he could imagine at that moment what he must look like to her. Hungover, a mess, lost and pathetic, begging for a scrap of something. "Kathryn I—"

"This is what you wanted Sebastian," she explained calmly, carefully. "All ties severed, remember?"

"Yes, but—"

"And honestly, I think you were right. It's for the best. We only bring out the worst in each other and frankly, I'm sick of being the scapegoat for your bullshit. You're on your own now."

She started to turn away once again. Sebastian held on to her hand. "Wait!"

Kathryn slowly turned back. "How are you sleeping at night?" her tone was verging on concerned.

Sebastian blinked, thrown off by the question. He shrugged. "Fine."

A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Liar." Kathryn stepped forward and placed a hand on his chest. Gazing up at him she said, "A word of warning. The partying, the drugs, the sex…it doesn't help, it will only sedate you, make you forget, make you not care. It won't fill you up or get rid of the emptiness. It will only make that void in your chest grow bigger until you feel like it will swallow you whole, until you feel like nothing at all." Her eyes flashed up at him with something he couldn't place.

Kathryn stepped back, a faint, almost pitying smile on her lips. "Enjoy your victory Sebastian."

She walked out then leaving Sebastian to stand there pathetically in her wake, hand clutched at his chest like he was afraid if he removed it everything inside him would come pouring out. Kathryn's words echoed in his head, an odd reminder that she really did know him better than anyone.

"Are you coming back to bed?"

Slowly Sebastian turned, barely seeing the provocative girl, pouting in the doorway. He should have told her to fuck off, go home, but he didn't have the energy. Resigned to his fate, he swiped a bottle of scotch from the wet bar and sighed. "Sure, why not."

* * *

**A/N:** There are six more chapters of this story, then we'll move on to PART 2.


	28. The House Guest

**Chapter 27: The House Guest**

* * *

Annette was in desperate need of some vodka. Or maybe an 8mm. Either way she needed to be put out of her misery. She didn't know how much more of Emma Coldwater's incessant babbling she could take. A loaded rifle was starting to sound like a reasonable solution.

Two weeks back in Kansas and she was still as miserable as when she arrived. It was inevitable. She felt like a prisoner who had been allowed one day of freedom in the sun only to get shoved back to cold, dark solitary confinement. Annette missed Manhattan fiercely. She missed the noise, the excitement, the culture, the feeling that everything and anything could happen. Here everything moved so much slower. It was back to the real world of strip malls and McDonalds. Hell on earth.

Getting dragged to her grandmother's church social wasn't helping matters any. It was a far cry from the charity events and parties she attended in Manhattan. No designer gowns, champagne and guests fucking in coat closets. Instead it was jeans, bean dip, and listening to Emma brag about how Michael Wetherbee took her to the new mall in Kansas City. Kill her now.

"What do you think Annette?"

She blinked, bringing herself back to her odious reality. She was standing among a small gaggle of girls she'd known her whole life. She hated all of them.

"I'm sorry?"

Before Emma could repeat her question Sarah Francis, the self-appointed leader and resident mean girl of Annette's school spoke up. "Forget it Emma, she's not interested. Now that she's lived in New York, Annette thinks she's too good for us now, isn't that right?"

Staring at Sarah's smug upturned face Annette dearly wanted to smack the shit out of her, but she knew that wasn't an option as she had to tread carefully these days. Everyone in town was already gossiping about her return and why it happened so suddenly. They were all assuming she got in some kind of trouble and was expelled, which while _true_ was a simplified version of the truth. Anyway, she couldn't afford to alienate anymore people if she had a hope in hell of getting out of there again. This unfortunately included dipshit Sarah.

Employing a wide eyed look of innocence she exclaimed, "No of course not. You know how much I missed you guys. I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"Yeah right," Sarah huffed, now on a roll. Tossing her long blond hair over her shoulder she continued, "You've always thought you were better than us, always showing off, always trying to prove how clever you are. But I guess it wasn't impressive enough for New York, was it? Just because they kicked you out doesn't mean we want you back, do we girls?"

The small group of girls all looked uncomfortable and anxious at the proclamation, most of them staring at the ground. Annette wondered how long Sarah had been waiting to give that little speech. She had always been jealous of Annette and her accomplishments. She just about shit herself when Annette got into Manchester. It wasn't surprising she was using any opportunity to try an ostracize her.

Annette wasn't concerned. After dealing with the bitches at Manchester, Annette could handle the likes of Sarah with her eyes closed. Sighing, she was about to ask Sarah why she was so angry at her and therefor turn the spotlight on her petty behavior, but before she could get a word out, Sarah's attention got diverted.

"Who is _that_?"

Everyone in the group, including Annette, turned in the direction of where Sarah was staring. In the back of the banquet hall, stood a girl examining a bulletin board filled with fliers. Looking as if she just walked off a runway in head to toe designer black, she was a sharp contrast to everyone else in the room wearing jeans and sneakers. It was like a unicorn suddenly appeared on a football field. Staring at her Annette forgot how to breath.

Kathryn fucking Merteuil.

Honestly, she was so stunned to see her, _in Kansas_, she was sure she was imagining her at first, but if she was, half the room was sharing the same delusion.

"I've never seen her before," one of the girls spoke up.

"Of course not, she definitely not from around here. Maybe she's—"

Sarah let out a loud gasp. "Oh my god, I think she's wearing Louboutins!"

"No way they're real. Do you have any idea how much those cost?"

Unable to stand one more second of this, Annette remarked distractedly, "I'll be right back." She walked across the party, feeling as if she was sleepwalking. As she approached her the brunette turned, as if expecting her. Annette tried to play it cool, but the words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "What in the fuck?"

Kathryn's pretty pout twisted in a wry smile. "Good to see you to."

"What-how?"

_Real fucking smooth Hargrove_.

Pushing her oversized sunglasses on top of her head, Kathryn remarked, "Hmm, I enjoy it when you're tongue tied."

Annette took a breath, trying to center herself. "What are you doing here Kathryn?"

"Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Before Annette could reply, Sarah was suddenly standing next to her, eyes wide and smile eager as she offered a hand to Kathryn. "I don't think we've been introduced, I'm Sarah Francis."

Kathryn gave the girl a discreet once over and Annette could practically see the wheels turning in her devious mind, how she could cannibalize dipshit Sarah. Offering up her perfect phony debutante smile, she shook her hand. "I'm Kathryn Merteuil, a friend of Annette's from Manhattan."

"Oh, wow, nice to meet you. Me and Annette go way back," she told her, throwing an arm around Annette's shoulders. "I love your bag. I have one just like it. It's _Coach_."

Kathryn cocked a brow. "Neat!"

_Christ_. Annette couldn't take much more of this. She needed answers.

"If you'll excuse us Sarah, I have to talk to Kathryn in private."

Before she could object, she dragged Kathryn away. They ended up in Annette's old Sunday school classroom at the back of the church. Kathryn let out a laugh as she closed the door behind them. "She's cute. Have you fucked her?"

"No, she's painfully straight."

"That's too bad. Maybe I should take a crack at her."

Annette stood before her arms crossed unimpressed. "Be my guest."

Kathryn's gaze traveled down her body, her pert nose wrinkling in distaste. "What are you wearing?"

She glanced down at her jeans and sweater set ensemble, feeling a pang of self-consciousness before remembering herself. "Alright, cut the shit. What are you really doing here?"

Clearly pleased at having the upper hand, Kathryn smugly strut past her and took a seat atop the old wooden desk in the front of the room. "I've come to bring you home," she announced.

Annette blinked. "How?"

"Well it appears my dear stepbrother was behind everything—framing you for embezzlement, burning down that school building, he even posted that video of me." Kathryn shook her head as if the whole thing was such a tragedy. "It's so sad what people will do to get ahead these days."

"Who knew Sebastian was so ambitious," Annette quipped. "Is anyone actually buying this horseshit?"

"Of course, I have sworn affidavits and everything. Aunt Helen has agreed not only to reinstate you, but you get to keep your scholarship as well."

Annette could scarcely allow herself to believe this was true. Ignoring her hammering heart, she played it cool. "There's no way my father's going to let me return to New York."

"Oh, I've taken care of him," Kathryn remarked with an assured smile.

"How?"

"Let's just say Benjamin and I have come to an agreement. He's agreed to let you come home. You no longer will be under a curfew and he will no longer be interfering with your future."

She let out an incredulous laugh. "How on earth did you get him to agree to that?" Suddenly, Annette had an alarming thought. "Oh god, you didn't…"

Kathryn made a face. "Ew. Of course not, god I have standards you know."

"Since when?"

Ignoring the diss she explained, "Let's just say a good friend procured some rather compromising photos of our illustrious headmaster doing…something he shouldn't."

Annette waited with bated breath for Kathryn to explain in full, but she left it at that. "What was he doing?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Anyway, he should be alerting your grandmother about your departure as we speak. I told him to hold off until we spoke. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Of course you did"

Kathryn hopped off the desk and approached her, hips swinging enticingly. "The jet is fueled and ready to go as soon as you're packed." Pulling at her lilac sweater her face crumpled in disdain. "Although I can't imagine you have much you want to bring back. We need to burn this when we get home."

Annette flung her hand away irritably. She had about a million emotions coursing through her at that moment. Exhilaration, disbelief but also weariness. She knew she couldn't trust Kathryn and she wondered if she was being set up for something.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded.

Kathryn shrugged, playing at indifferent. "Maybe I missed you."

"More like Sebastian followed through with his stupid little plan." Honestly Annette was shocked. After that confrontation with him before she left, she was sure he'd pussy out. Well she was no one's consolation prize. "So, what, he threw you over and now there's no one to put up with your bullshit?"

Her green eyes flashed in anger. "On the contrary. I have a boy waiting for me who very much wants to put up with my bullshit, but I turned him down in favor of coming after you." Kathryn started away. "Look if you're not interested…"

Annette grabbed her arm, halting her. They both knew she was more than interested. Kathryn just handed her, her future back on a silver platter. "Don't be a fucking idiot. Of course I'm interested. I'm just wondering what the catch is."

"Always so cynical," Kathryn sing songed.

"Always a reason to be. What game are you playing Merteuil?"

"I…" she trailed off as whatever argument she was about to make died on her tongue. Instead, not quite meeting her eyes, she admitted quietly, "Maybe I missed you."

Annette knew she should call her out on being full of shit, but then she recalled their last meeting and she couldn't do it. For once Kathryn was telling the truth.

Still, she wasn't going to let her off that easy.

"I hope you're not expecting a thank you."

Kathryn's eyes flashed with wry amusement. "Oh, I'm not. I hope you're not expecting an apology."

Annette released a short laugh. "From you? Never."

They shared a knowing smile and then Kathryn moved in, her hands finding their way to her waist. Annette immediately stilled at the familiar closeness, equally repelled and attracted to it. Kathryn nuzzled her nose then leaned in to kiss her. Annette turned away.

"What?" the brunette laughed, her voice husky and dripping with sex. "Haven't you ever fucked in a church before? It could be hot."

Her lips grazed Annette's and she could feel the familiar tug of wanting to give int to her. It would be so easy, but she knew she couldn't. Not until she knew the rules of the game at least. Annette pulled back. "We're not doing this."

Surprise flashed in Kathryn's eyes. "Seriously?"

"What, did you honestly expect you could just fly down here and I would fall at your feet? _You ruined my life_."

"Yes and then I fixed it. What's the problem?"

"The problem? Kathryn, you and I are a toxic shitshow together, you have to know that. We nearly destroyed each other."

"Yeah, because Sebastian—"

"Woah, he's a whole other story I really don't think you want to bring up right now. Look, do I have feelings for you? Yes. Do I want to bend you over that desk and eat you until you scream? Hell yes."

A wicked grin spread across the debutante's face as she went to wrap her arms around her again. "Now that sounds like a plan."

Annette shrugged out of her embrace. "We aren't doing this again. I think it's better if we're just friends."

Kathryn's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Are you kidding me with this?"

"Afraid not."

"Hargrove, you and I are a lot of things, but we sure as shit aren't _friends_."

"It's over between us Kathryn."

To her surprise she smiled at that. "I think you would have realized by now, it's never really over between us. Even when it is."

Annette started to object when suddenly the classroom door opened and her grandmother appeared. Immediately she stepped away from Kathryn. Her grandmother, oblivious to the tension was already mid sentence. "Oh, there you are dear, I've been looking everywhere for you. I just hung up with your father and he has some news—oh." She blinked in surprise, noticing Kathryn for the first time. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. I'm Annette's grandmother Ruth."

Stepping forward with her best debutante of the year smile she introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Kathryn Merteuil, a school friend of Annette's from New York."

"Oh yes, Benji explained you were coming down to bring Annette back with you." Her grandmother gave her a once over, taking in her sophisticated clothing with a critical eye. "I was under the impression an adult would be accompanying you."

Kathryn didn't so much as flinch. "Oh, our pilot Nick is with me. He's just getting a bite to eat while I catch up with Annette."

"I see." Glancing over at Annette she told her, "Well I guess you've heard the news then you're going to join your father in New York. I'm a little confused about the details, Benji was kind of vague, but I know how excited you must be. Personally, I think it's best you stayed in Kansas, with your family, where it's safe but he was rather insistent."

Annette suspected if Kathryn wasn't there her grandmother would launch into another sermon about the dangers and evils of the big city and all the scary liberals that live there. Needless to say, her grandmother was completely in the dark about what really went down at Manchester.

"Don't worry Mrs. Hargrove, I promise we'll take good care of her in New York." As she spoke Kathryn purposely let her rosery escape from her coat sleeve.

"Oh my," her grandmother exclaimed, "What a lovely rosery. I've never seen one like it before."

_You have no idea Gram._

Kathryn of course preened under the compliment. "Thank you, it belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to me before she passed away." Annette cocked a brow at the lie, but she could tell her grandmother was already under her thrall. "I know it sounds quaint, but sometimes, when I miss her, I talk to god and he helps me through the pain."

Grandma Ruth grasped Kathryn's hand excitedly. "I completely understand, I felt the same way when I lost my Earnest. Oh my, I'm so happy my Annette will have a good Christian looking after her!"

"Oh yes, my family is very religious as is many of the students who attend Manchester."

"You do spend a lot of time on your knees worshipping," Annette muttered knowing it would go completely over her grandmother's head.

Sure enough Grandmother playfully nudged Kathryn's side. "That's my kind of girl!"

Kathryn giggled, flashing a wicked look at Annette. "Don't worry Grandma Ruth, I'll make sure Annette attends church every Sunday."

"Well if you pull that off you really are a miracle worker."

Annette rolled her eyes having heard enough. "Well I better get home and start packing. Kathryn, where should I meet you?"

"Nonsense," her grandmother cut her off, "Before you go anywhere, you're going to have one more home cooked meal. Kathryn, dear, I hope you'll join us?"

Before she could reply Annette quickly spoke up, wanting to nip this in the bud before it went any further. "Actually Gram, Kathryn has to—"

"I'd love to," Kathryn interrupted. "It's been ages since I've had a nice home cooked meal."

"You have a live-in chef," Annette muttered under her breath.

Neither was paying any attention as her grandmother wrapped Kathryn in a hug. "I'm so glad my Annie found a girl like you." Glancing back at her she admonished, "I hope you appreciate her young lady. She really is something."

On that she and Gram were in firm agreement.

* * *

Packing everything up was a lot easier the second go around. Annette was practically trembling with excitement as she shoved clothing into the two open suitcases on her bed. She could hardly believe this was happening, she kept waiting for someone (probably Kathryn) to pull the rug out from under her and tell her it was all a big joke. Annette wouldn't fully believe her future was back on track until she stepped onto the tarmac at JFK.

From down the hallway, she could hear the sounds of excited squeals and giggles. Sarah Francis was being particularly obnoxious. Annette rolled her eyes. When the girls from school heard Gram invite Kathryn back to the house, they quickly invited themselves over, under the guise of seeing Annette off (forget the fact that not a half an hour earlier they accused her of thinking herself too good for them). Of course, they just wanted to come to gawk and fawn over Kathryn, leaving Annette to quietly sneak away to pack her bags. Merteuil of course was more than happy to play the visiting queen, graciously condescending to girls who she normally wouldn't let pick up her dry cleaning much less converse with. Annette was actually grateful for the excuse to put some distance between them. She needed to wrap her head around this thing before she did something stupid.

She had been texting Trevor for the past hour, giving him updates on her ever evolving life, purposely leaving out most of the Kathryn details. However, she needed advice.

_**Kathryn's trying to seduce me. What should I do?**_

He replied almost immediately.

_**Let her?**_

Annette rolled her eyes. Leave it to a gay boy to lead with his hormones. The thing of it was, she did want to give into Kathryn. Which, duh, she was beautiful and sexy and she was in love with her. Hell, she had spent every night since leaving Manhattan, with her hand between her legs, getting herself off to pics of her on her phone. However, she couldn't ignore the fact that they last time she gave into her desire for Kathryn she very nearly lost everything she worked for. If they were to start things up again, there was no guarantee things wouldn't go to shit soon after. She wasn't sure she was willing to take the risk.

"Annette dear," her Grandmother appeared in her doorway, startling her out of her thoughts. "Your little friends are leaving. We're going have supper in a few minutes."

She didn't bother to correct her that those girls weren't her friends. "Okay Gram."

Stepping further into the room, she eyed Annette's suitcases, frowning. "I can't believe you're leaving so soon, after we just got you back."

She wasn't surprised by her grandmother's attitude. The older woman had practically begged her father not to take her to Manchester in the first place. "I know Gram, but this is a great opportunity. I have a scholarship waiting for me and if I graduate from Manchester, I'm practically guaranteed an Ivy league education."

Ruth Hargrove had never put much stock in educating women. She probably would have preferred Annette stay home, get married and pump out a litter of babies. In other words, her worst nightmare. "Yes, I know you have your ambitions and such, I just hope you remember to come home once in a while."

Annette had every intention of getting on that plane and never stepping foot in Kansas again, but she indulged her, lying, "Of course I will. This is my home."

She nodded. "Well at least I can sleep well at night knowing you have a girl like Kathryn looking after you. I think she's just the sort of influence you need in that hedonistic city."

"Hmm, yes. She's quite the girl."

Annette had always thought her Grandmother to be a rather good judge of character, very few people, including herself every really pulled anything over on her. It was a credit to Kathryn and her powers of persuasion that she managed to dazzle even her stalwart Gram, a woman who made it a point to only smile once a month. If the old woman had any clue of Kathryn's true nature, she no doubt would lock her in the basement until she turned twenty-five.

"We're going to miss you around here."

"I'll miss you too."

An awkward silence fell between them, until her grandmother quietly shuffled out of the room. Annette was pretty sure that type of goodbye should have normally ended with a hug, but her family had never been big on physical comfort, or any comfort really. They were a stoic bunch, which was fine, but she had always secretly wondered if she had come from a more touchy-feely family if she would have had a healthier outlook on things.

Probably not. She still would have turned into an asshole.

Trevor always said, outside of the religious fanaticism, there was a lot of her grandmother in her. Annette didn't really see it. They both had a limited bullshit tolerance, but that was about it.

Setting aside her packing for the moment, Annette headed down the hallway, coming up short when she spotted Kathryn in her grandmother's small, cozy living room. There, among the crucifix's, the tchotchkes, and the colorful crocheted afghans on the beat up couch, was perfect, polished, Kathryn. God, it was like seeing a T-Rex stomping across the backyard, to surreal to be believed. But there she stood, examining a wall of photographs.

"I know I have a fantastic ass, but there's no reason to stand there gawking at it."

Annette rolled her eyes, smirking in spite of herself. "It's not that impressive," she lied, coming up behind her.

"Funny, that's not what you said when I let you fuck it over Labor Day weekend."

Annette's whole body heated when she remembered that particular nasty weekend, they spent fucking each other's brain's out in their hotel room. She quickly shook her arousal off. That was the last thing she needed to be thinking about now. "You might want to watch your mouth. My grandmother pulled a shotgun on the last person who used language like that in her house."

"Is that you?" Kathryn pointed at a photo of Annette taken at around six years old. She was scowling next to a bike she had just got for her birthday. "Why are you so upset?"

"I was learning to ride a bike and I kept falling off. I was so angry at gravity. I stayed out until it was dark and I refused to come inside until I mastered it."

"Stubborn even then. Is that your mother?"

She pointed to an old photo of her mother, a rare one where she was smiling, looking impossibly light and happy. "Yeah."

"She's hot. She looks like you."

Annette sighed. "You shouldn't have come here."

"Oh? You prefer I stayed in New York, left you here to rot and become like one of those stepford dorks who was panting over me?"

"Don't be idiotic, that's not what I meant. You shouldn't have accepted my grandmother's invitation to dinner. You're not going to get your way this time."

At this she grinned, taunting and seductive. "Oh yeah?" Kathryn ran a hand up Annette's backside. "Care to make a wager on that?"

She scowled and was about to shut her down when her grandmother called from the kitchen, "Girls, dinner!"

Kathryn leaned in and sing songed in Annette's ear, "_Cuu-mming_."

Giggling, she squeezed her ass as she passed by her on the way to the dining room. Her grandmother's dining table was rectangular and kind of small. The lady of the house sat at one end and on the other sat Hank, Gram's 'friend'. Annette was pretty sure she had never heard Hank utter more than five words in the three years she had known him. Annette took her seat in the center and rather than sit across from her, Kathryn sat beside her. _Fuck shit_.

That evening her grandmother was serving her special meatloaf and mash potatoes. Annette knew it was a far cry from the five-star foie gras or filet mignon Kathryn was used to eating. She did an admirable job of hiding her distaste for it, offering up a weak smile and a thanks as her grandmother filled her plate to capacity. Annette found it immensely satisfying.

Even better was when Gram asked, "Kathryn dear would you like to say grace?"

Kathryn was so startled she dropped the fork, it clattered loudly to her plate. Her eyes widened momentarily in terror. Annette bit the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing. "That sounds like an excellent idea," Annette cooed with false sweetness.

Recovering nicely, she smiled. "I'd love to, but I wouldn't feel right about it, being a guest and all. Maybe Annette could do it."

_Fucking bitch_.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" her grandmother exclaimed. "It's been ages since you've led us in prayer Annie."

Annette didn't bother to hide her scowl at being put on the spot, but not wanting to turn it into a whole thing, (or give Kathryn any sense of satisfaction) she begrudgingly agreed. "Fine."

Clasping her hands, she bowed her head and recited from memory, "Lord, thank you for the food before us."

Annette paused when she suddenly felt a familiar hand creep up on her thigh. _Jesus Christ, you have got to be kidding me_. Annette stilled and peaked a glance at Kathryn. Her head was bowed but she could see the smirk playing around her mouth. Her grandmother cleared her throat, getting her attention. Annette tried to ignore her and continue on.

"Thank you for the family and friends beside us and the…"

Kathryn's fingers crept up the inside of her leg and pushed against her panties. Annette forgot how to breath. She clamped her legs tight together, but it didn't deter Kathryn who began to work her fingers against her slit, no doubt pleased when she found Annette already wet and waiting. "…and the love between us. In Jesus' name we pray." She was practically panting now as Kathryn worked her over. If she kept this up much longer…

"Amen"

As soon as the word was out of her mouth, she abruptly removed Kathryn's hand from between her legs, letting out a relieved gasp as she did. Her grandmother frowned at her, concerned.

"Annie dear, are you alright? You're all flushed."

"I'm fine," she croaked, reaching for her water glass. "It's…I'm just tired."

She sent a discreet glare Kathryn's way, who pouted in return. A spoiled princess denied a toy. Deciding to ignore her (along with her now, throbbing and needy cunt) Annette dug into dinner, hoping to get this shit show over with.

"Kathryn is the food alright?" her grandmother asked mid chew. "You're barely eating."

"Kathryn has a rather delicate pallet," Annette explained, like it was some kind of medical condition and not that she was a fucking snob.

The brunette cast a brief withering glance at her before explaining, "It's wonderful Mrs. Hargrove, I think my stomach just hasn't settled from the plane ride. May I be excused to use the bathroom?"

"Of course, dear."

Watching as Kathryn left the table, Annette frowned. Was she seriously going to throw up her one bite of meatloaf? Despite her annoyance, Annette couldn't help feeling concerned. She always treated Kathryn's eating disorder more like a weird habit, than a disease and had made it a point not to think about it, but the questions always lingered in the back of her mind.

Her grandmother frowned, concerned. "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine." Even as she said it however, Annette wondered if she should go and check on her.

She set down her fork and started to get up when Kathryn emerged, clutching her cell phone and wearing a phony look of distress. "Oh poo," she exclaimed primly. "I'm afraid I have some upsetting news."

"What is it?"

"The pilot just called. Apparently, there's some problem with the plane and it won't be able to take off until tomorrow afternoon."

"You've got to be shitting me," Annette exclaimed, irritated at the obvious lie.

"Annette!" her grandmother admonished. "What have I told you about using language like that in this house?"

"Sorry Gram"

"I'm so sorry Annette," Kathryn apologized. "I know how excited you were about returning to New York, but just think, now you get to spend one last night with your wonderful family."

She forced a smile. "Good point."

"Well, I should be going, I have to see about finding a place to spend the night. Do you know any good hotels in the area?"

"Don't be silly dear. You're going to stay with us. I'm sure your parents would never forgive us if we allowed you to spend the night alone in a hotel in a strange city. We would love to have you."

Kathryn face lit up like Christmas morning. "Are you sure? I don't want to put you through any trouble."

"Nonsense think nothing of it. You can stay in Annette's room. There should be plenty of room for you two girls."

Kathryn's gaze found Annette and she grinned, very much the cat who ate the canary. "That sounds wonderful."

* * *

"I can't believe this shit."

"Now, now is that any kind of language a young girl ought to use? What if your gram heard? She'd be so disappointed."

Sprawled out across Annette's unmade bed, flipping through an old yearbook, Kathryn looked exceedingly smug as she taunted her. Annette very much wanted to strangle her. She paused just long enough in her packing to snarl back, "We could be half way to New York by now, but thanks to you and your bullshit, I'm stuck another night in this hell hole."

Kathryn glanced around Annette's small, tidy bedroom. "It's not so bad."

Had she not been so irritated with her Annette might have felt self-conscious about her rather adolescent room which in comparison to Kathryn's own moneyed sophisticated trappings felt kind of juvenile. However, as it stood, she was too pissed at the moment to give in to any latent insecurities about the class divide between them. Instead, she huffed over her shoulder as she shoved a bag of cosmetics into her suitcase, "I'm so glad you approve your highness."

"Oh, get over it. It's just one night, besides it could be fun." Annette looked up as Kathryn stretched and wiggled back against the bed, her eyes dark and her smile suggestive. "The two of us sharing a bed, nice and cozy..." She traced a hand across her chest, pausing to rub a finger over her visible puckered nipple. "..in the dark…you know how my hands like to wander…" Annette watched transfixed, mouth dry as Kathryn slid her hand between her legs and touched herself.

God how many times had she imagined this very scenario at night, Kathryn in her bed looking like sex. Annette's throat felt dry as she gazed at her, the epitome of every sexual thought she ever had. She briefly fantasized, dragging her by the ankles to the edge of the bed, spreading her wide, eating her hard. She imagined the way she'd tremble under her tongue, the high pitched needy sounds she'd make, the way she'd taste. Annette trembled with the need for her, but she refused to give in. She wouldn't be just another easy mark for her.

"I don't think so." Marching over to the blankets and extra pillow Gram had procured for her, Annette brought then over to the bed then pointedly dropped them to the floor. "You're sleeping here."

Kathryn's face fell to comedic affect and she sat up abruptly, legs swinging over the side of the bed. "On the floor? But I'm the guest."

"Tough shit princess."

They stared each other down for one heated beat before she hissed between primly, "Fine. Do you have something for me to wear? Or do you still prefer I sleep naked?"

Annette rolled her eyes then turned around, rummaging through one of her dresser drawers before she found a pair of old, ugly floral print flannel pajamas Gram bought her a few years back that had been loitering around the back of the drawer unworn. She thrust them at Kathryn with a mocking grin. "Here you go."

"Ugh." Kathryn examined them with undisguised disdain before tossing them away in disgust. "I'm not putting that Walmart produced shit on my body. Where are the teal satin pajamas I bought you?"

"I threw them away, along with everything else you ever gave me." It was a lie of course. She had worn the pajamas every night since returning but had carefully hid them away in her suitcase as soon as she started packing. Annette immediately regretted the remark when she saw a look of genuine hurt flash across Kathryn's face. _Damnit_. She rolled her eyes and sighed, admitting, "They are already packed."

They shared a look and then Annette turned, away, disappearing into the bathroom to change into a nightgown. When she emerged, Kathryn was standing in front of the vanity admiring her reflection. "I don't know what you're being so salty about. I know you still love me."

"So what? I love chocolate cake too. Doesn't mean I'm going to fuck that."

Kathryn cocked an unimpressed brow at that before returning back to the bed. Annette combed out her hair, trying to ignore her and the tension in the room when she noticed Kathryn in the mirror begin to undress. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm getting ready for bed." She removed her dress leaving her in a skimpy black lace pushup bra and panties.

Annette inwardly groaned and whirled around. "You're not playing fair."

"Fair is for girl scouts and horseshoes." With a faint grin on her face she removed her bra. "I play to win."

Before Annette had a chance to rebuke this, Kathryn climbed into her bed, turning her back on her. She turned the bedside light off then ordered as regally as a queen, "Turn off the bathroom light when you're done."

Annette stood there in the partial dark, glaring slack jawed at her nerve. Anger flaring within her, she stomped over and turned the light back on. "Get out of my bed."

Kathryn sat up, tits out and proud, eyes shining with amused defiance. "Make me."

That did it. Unable to stifle her anger and frustration any longer, Annette began trying to physically remove her from her bed. Only Kathryn was every bit as stubborn and when Annette put her hands on her, she dragged her into the bed with her. Without even realizing it, Annette was soon straddling Kathryn, kneeling above her, wrestling her down to the mattress. The next thing she knew, Kathryn had a hand up the back of her nightgown and was tugging her down for a kiss. Their mouths met in a fiery explosion, all the tension from the day, hell the past few weeks, dissolving in their wake. Annette was clutching her face so hard she was sure she would leave a bruise, but she didn't release her. Finally, when her lungs began to burn from the need for oxygen she pulled back, gasping for air. "Why are you such a pain in the ass?" she demanded, as if there was a logical answer to that question.

"Because I'm in love with you dummy," Kathryn growled, tugging her back into a kiss. This time it was less intense, more sensual, as their hard grip each other loosened into gentle caresses. Annette groaned as Kathryn shoved her nightgown up and over her head. She knew this was stupid and she had to stop but she couldn't, she was sick of resisting and doing the smart thing. The smart thing was boring and lonely.

As Kathryn suckled and squeezed her breasts, Annette rocked against her, seeking friction for the ache that had begun to develop between her legs. As if sensing what she needed, Kathryn slipped a hand into her panties, teasing her clit to hardness. Annette tossed her head back and groaned at the familiar sensation.

"Shh." Kathryn's gaze was warmly amused as she admonished, "What about your grandmother?"

"What, do you want to fuck her next?"

In response she pinched her tit hard. Annette squealed and slapped her playfully. "She sleeps like the dead, but just in case…" she leaned over and turned the radio on. Some cheesy 80's power ballad wafted softly through the small speaker.

Kathryn laughed against her shoulder. "This is so embarassing. Making love to corny music, having to be quiet so your grandmother doesn't hear us, like some stupid teen movie…

"Is that what we're doing, making love?" She meant it to come out mocking and cynical but landed on something else entirely.

Staring up at her in the dark, Kathryn's eyes flashed with some uncertainty like she was afraid Annette would reject her. "Yeah, why not?"

She smiled softly in return, brushing a hand across her swollen lips before leaning in to kiss her again. They made out languidly, her hand in Kathryn's hair while she gently fingered her, dragging her to the edge and then stopping. Breaking away, the brunette murmured against her mouth, "I want to taste you."

Kathryn wiggled onto her back and guided Annette over her face. Annette paused and then swiveled around, so she could lean over her. Tugging her panties aside, Kathryn buried her face in her cunt, her wicked tongue wasting no time figuring out all the ways to drive her crazy. Annette wanted to return the favor. Crawling down the length of her body, she maneuvered herself between her splayed legs. Kathryn's thighs were already coated with juices. Almost as soon as Annette touched her, she bucked and whined. She held her down, gently admonishing over her shoulder, "Be good baby. And don't stop."

Kathryn did as she was told, wrapping her arms around Annette's torso she proceeded to eat her alive, tongue fucking her within an inch of her life. Had it been anyone else, there was no way Annette would have been able to concentrate enough to keep up, but this was Kathryn. The girl who she's lusted after ever since she spotted her in that crowded corridor. The only person she's ever truly loved. She was more than eager to give as good as she got.

They rocked against one another, finding a messy rhythm, until unable to hold the position much longer, Annette rolled to her side and so did Kathryn. Pulling off her, she gasped into the darkness as Kathryn suckled her clit hard. Annette retaliated by slipping a finger into her ass. They continued on this way, each trying to get the other there first. As always it was Annette who came out on top. Kathryn was just too responsive, too needy. She loved it. Her thighs tightened around Annette's face threatening to suffocate her, but she didn't let up until she wrung out the last shudder and gasp. It wasn't long until Annette was joining her over that cliff, her hand knotted in her hard hair as she erupted against her ardent mouth.

They both laid on their backs on opposite ends of the bed, panting into the darkness, listening to a mid-nineties' guitar ballad. Turning, Annette playfully nipped at her ankle. Kathryn whimpered. "Come here," she breathlessly commanded. Her voice sounded like sex.

Pulling herself up she complied, meeting her halfway in the middle. She tugged Kathryn to her as soon as she was in arms reach, kissing her wantonly, running her hands desperately over her body as she had wanted to do all day, memorizing her soft curves. Annette shimmied out of her panties while Kathryn sucked hickies into her skin. Somehow, they ended up wrapped around each other in a sweat soaked embrace, just lazily kissing and touching each other. The heat and anger from earlier a distant memory, replaced by something no less intense but much less violent.

Kathryn snaked a hand between their bodies and slowly began to work her over with her fingers. She was so wet she could hear it over the faint hum of the radio. Annette clutched at her wrist, her hips bucking against her hand. Kathryn slipped two fingers into her, followed by a third. Annette moaned a sob, burying her face in the hollow of her neck. The way she was teasingly strumming her clit, dragging her to the edge only to back off at the last second, was driving her mad. In between she'd pull her in for long, lavish kisses while her hands caressed and fondled her breasts. It was all too too much. When Annette began to speak it was in a tone that didn't completely sound like her own. Everything that had been festering inside her that day and the past couple weeks began to spew out in a messy burst of emotions.

"I missed you. I can't be away from you anymore" she whimpered, practically crying from the weight of it as she held on to her tightly. "I-I love you. I can't…I don't…"

Honestly, she didn't know what she was trying to say, but it didn't matter, Kathryn did. "Shh," she murmured into her hair. "It's okay. You're not going to leave me again, are you?"

"No. I promise."

"Good. Say it again."

She cried out as her orgasm began to build to it crescendo. "_I love you_."

Kathryn pulled back, finding her stare in the dark, she held her face in her hand and kissed her. "Me too."

* * *

"I'm hungry."

Annette laid exhausted at the foot of the bed. Having been thoroughly fucked out, she was just about to let sleep take ahold of her when Kathryn nudged her with her foot. She groaned into the comforter. "Too bad. You shouldn't have been such a fucking snob and ate your dinner."

Indifferent to her desire to rest Kathryn ordered, "Go get me some of your grandmother's chocolate cake."

"Bitch, go get it yourself."

When Kathryn once again nudged her in the abdomen, Annette growled then grabbed for her foot. When she pulled herself up, she was about to lay into her again when she saw Kathryn pouting. She seriously looked like a five-year-old. Despite herself, Annette felt overcome with affection for the brat. She blamed the great sex.

With a put-upon sigh, Annette sat up. "If I get if for you, do you promise not to make yourself sick afterwards?"

Kathryn wordlessly crossed her heart. That would have to do.

Annette threw on a robe then quietly crept to the kitchen to fetch the princess her cake. When she returned Kathryn excitedly beamed. "Thank you."

"Uh huh"

Annette crawled into bed beside her and watched with affection as Kathryn tore into in. When she noticed her staring, she asked through a mouthful of food, "What?"

"Nothing, I just don't think I've ever seen you digest carbs before."

"Eat me," she sneered back.

"Maybe when you're done with your cake." Laughing Annette laid down across Kathryn's lap. She was still gloriously naked. She decided then and there this was her favorite version of Kathryn. Naked and eating and total unencumbered by anything. If only they could stay like this all the time. Maybe they'd have a chance.

"Have you ever fucked anyone in this bed?"

Annette blinked at the question then laughed. "You mean outside of myself? No. Wait, I take that back. I sucked off Nate Gable on Christmas eve last year."

"And did he return the favor?"

"He's a teenage boy, of course not."

"Not all teenage boys are opposed."

There was no need to question which teenage boy she was referring to. Almost immediately Annette began silently wondering if they slept together again, before deciding they probably had. "Speaking of which, how is your darling brother?"

Kathryn scowled into her cake at the mention of Sebastian. "He's fucking his way across the five boroughs." Licking her fork with a flourish she added, "He should have a new venereal disease named after him by the spring."

"Charming." It was impossible to miss the bitterness in her tone. Annette didn't want to ask the question that had been floating around her brain since she spotted Kathryn in Kansas, but it couldn't be helped, she had to know. "So, what exactly went down between the two of you?"

Kathryn shrugged and Annette could practically see the walls come up around her. Setting her plate down she asked, "What makes you think something happened?"

"He came to see me before I left, to crow about his victory or whatever. He told me he was going to emotionally annihilate you. I told him he was too chicken shit to go through with it. Was I wrong?"

"Not exactly," she replied, carefully, her hands reaching out to caress Annette's hair. "I mean I wouldn't call it an annihilation…"

But it hadn't been pretty. Annette studied her a moment. "Did you two…"

"Fuck? No, but we almost did," Kathryn admitted. "He kind of killed the mood when he called me a cum bucket."

White hot fury took hold of Annette. Sitting up abruptly she demanded, "He _what_?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Don't waste your breath. It was kind of pathetic actually. I don't know which one of us was the bigger mess afterwards."

Annette wasn't surprised. "He's still in love with you."

She shook her head, unconvinced. "Sebastian doesn't love anyone, including himself."

Annette didn't buy that, but she wasn't about to argue in favor of that asshole. Wanting to change the subject she shifted on the bed and laid down beside Kathryn. "So, are you ever going to tell me what dirt you found on my father?"

A slow, serpent like smile made its way across the brunette's face. She laughed, "I don't think you can handle it."

"Try me." She shook her shoulder playfully. "Come on, tell me."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. I came across some photos of your father taken at that Manchester gala last month."

"Wait, the party you threw? What could you have possibly caught him doing?"

"Fucking"

Annette's mouth fell open in horror. "No way! No fucking way, my father is as celibate as a monk. He hasn't even dated anyone since my mother died."

"That you know of. I have copies on my phone if you'd like to see them."

"No!" she exclaimed, holding her hand up in horror. "I'll take your word for it. This is unbelievable, and at a school sponsored event no less."

"Oh, I haven't gotten to the best part. The woman he was banging? She's married and you know her."

"Shut up. It's not…ugh…it's not _your_ mother is it?"

"No thank god, but it's nearly as bad. _Mrs. Caldwell_."

Annette pretended to wretch over the side of the bed. "God, that's foul, but, ugh, it kind of makes sense. She was totally flirting with him that night."

"Gross."

"Shit, I can't believe you told me this in bed."

"You asked!"

"Seriously, I may never want to have sex again."

Laughing Kathryn tugged her closer, nuzzling her nose. "Come on, isn't this turning you on just a little?"

"No!" she laughed in horror, trying to wiggle out of her embrace. "I'll leave all the incestuous leanings to you."

The proceeded to wrestle around in the bed, play fighting and laughing until Kathryn pinned her to the bed, kissing her deeply. Giggling against her mouth, Annette wrapped her arms around her neck, giving in to it. When they broke apart, there were wearing matching idiotic grins. "You really did go to the depths of hell to bring me back, huh?"

"Yep. Don't say I never did anything for you."

"How long has Blaine been holding on to that piece of intel?"

Kathryn rolled on to her side, running a hand through her mussed tendrils. "It wasn't Blaine. Jack gave it to me."

For a moment Annette didn't know who she was referring to. Oh yes, Jack Donnelly. The boy scout with the large cock. Fucking wonderful "So it's Jack now, huh? Since when are you friends with him?"

Kathryn shrugged. "Since I haven't had anyone to talk to since you left and Sebastian…whatevered me."

Annette remembered something she said earlier that day. "Is he the boy you said was waiting for you?"

"He thinks he's in love with me."

She sat up, alarmed. "He moves quick. Have you two…?"

"No, not for a lack of trying on my part. Anyway, he's apparently had a crush on me for years. I don't think it's really serious, but he did say he'd wait you out."

"Oh fantastic. More competition." Annette rolled on her back and glared up at the ceiling.

Kathryn laughed, clearly delighted by her jealousy. Nuzzling her shoulder she told her, "You have nothing to worry about. He's just my friend."

"Yeah, where have I heard that before? Speaking of assholes, we're going to have to do something about that brother of yours."

"I know," she sighed. "I tried. I went to Aunt Helen with all this evidence against him, but she refused to boot him. Wants to protect the family name and all that." Kathryn caressed her hair. "I don't suppose you have any ideas, festering in that evil mind of yours?"

As a matter of fact, she did. "I might have one, I'm just, hesitant to go through with it."

Kathryn straddled her. Even in the dim light of the room Annette could still make out her eyes alight with mischief. "Oh yeah? Is it any good?"

Annette ran her hands up her body and squeezed her breasts. "Baby, it's the _worst_."

Kathryn ran her fingers across lips and Annette sucked them into her mouth. They tasted like them.

"What is it?"

"Later." Grasping her hips Annette rolled them over then maneuvered down her body. Looking up at her she flashed a wicked grin. "Right now, I'm going to take you apart with my tongue."

Arching into her mouth, Kathryn gasped. "Works for me."


	29. The Coup de Grace

**Chapter 28: The Coup de Grace**

* * *

"Is something wrong?"

Where to even begin with that question, Sebastian thought morosely as he shoved his soft cock back into his trousers. Shifting against the threadbare couch of the small dressing room, he regarded the half-dressed girl standing over him with barely concealed animosity. "I'm swell."

She frowned and tugged at the ends of her shoulder length chestnut chair, a nervous habit. Her name was Hallie McPhee, a pretty, popular junior with more than a passing resemblance to his sister. She was petite with delicate features and green eyes. Personality wise however, she was Kathryn's polar opposite, a total people pleaser. She didn't raise a single objection when Sebastian insisted on fucking her from behind on that small couch, her face shoved into the cushions and ordered her to shut up as he pounded into her. Yeah, he was a real prince.

Taking a seat on his lap, she smiled prettily, slipping her arms around his neck. "You seem stressed. Are you nervous about your speech?"

"No, not really." And it was the truth. Sebastian was to give his first official speech as student body president in a half hour. He could care less honestly, was even contemplating blowing the whole thing off until he was informed that one of the perks of the gig was he got access to one of the theater kids dressing rooms so he could 'prepare.' As it was in the bowls of the theater, away from prying eyes of adults, and usually locked up like Fort Knox it was always considered the holy grail of hook up locations at Manchester. Sebastian had fucked in there before of course, but he couldn't resist the allure.

He vaguely wondered if Kathryn had ever taken advantage of the location. Before he could stop himself, he was picturing it. Kathryn riding some faceless dufus into the shitty cushions. He ran his fingers over the worn fabric then looked up at the dressing room mirror across from them. Maybe she did it reverse cowgirl style so she could watch herself, tits bouncing, mouth agape, she'd get off on it…

"Oh! That's more like it." Hallie giggled as she felt his cock harden against her leg. She palmed him, and whispered, "You want to go again?"

Spell broken, he abruptly got to his feet, shoving her back on the couch. "Not really, I need to concentrate."

Irritated by her presence and wishing she'd just take the hint and leave, Sebastian strut over to the vanity, depositing himself in the cushy chair. He grabbed at his new journal idling on the table and flipped it open with a flourish. He started it right after that night he left Kathryn in the hotel room. New beginnings and all that. He purposely kept her out of it. Annette too.

Not that it mattered. Flipping through the pages, even a casual observer would take note of the obvious theme. All the girls were brunettes with sharp green eyes. They didn't all look necessarily like his step-sister, but they each seemed to possess some physical characteristic that reminded him of her. This wasn't he supposed a new phenomenon necessarily. In the past Sebastian had always looked for her in girls he slept with and he usually left disappointed. It was only lately he'd been seeking out _actual_ carbon copies. Not surprisingly it never left him fulfilled.

Take the chick last night for example. A full on Kathryn clone (save for the tit job and the brown eyes). Sebastian had her sit on his face while he ate her pussy and ass for all he was worth. The illusion was shattered however by her high pierced moans. Sharp enough to break glass. Talk about a boner killer. Sebastian made her cum then kicked her out with cab fare.

Flipping the pages Sebastian stopped on a recent entry. Regina, one of his favorite fuck buddies. Well probably former at this point. She looked nothing like Kathryn, with her red hair and statuesque figure. They were messing around the other day when talk turned to the new transfer student, Ellie something or other—sophomore, beautiful, stacked. When Sebastian suggested they wager who could fuck her first Regina reacted with disgust.

"_Jesus Christ Sebastian, she's barely fifteen. She's probably a virgin."_

"_Even better. Race you to the finish line?"_

"_No, hell no. I'm not into using sex as a weapon or turning innocent girls into game to be hunted."_

She chewed him out for another five minutes, calling him a sick fuck before storming out. On top of that she even warned the new girl against him. It was safe to say Regina wouldn't become his latest partner in crime any time soon. Picking up his pen Sebastian wrote 'bitch' across her picture.

Regina was right about one thing—there was something severely wrong with him. Just as Kathryn had predicted, he tried to fill that void in his life with sex and booze and it only made it worse. He tried to replace her, but that has been a temporary fix at best. Something had to give. He couldn't go on like this much longer.

"Sebastian are you listening to me?"

"Not really."

Hallie came up beside him, pouting. When he refused to acknowledge her, she abruptly climbed into his lap once again and kissed down his neck. Something about her pathetic neediness reminded him of Cecile Caldwell. Sebastian shoved her off just as he had obnoxious Cecile. Hallie fell to the floor with a cry. Sebastian sighed, already bored with the conversation to come and picked up his pen. "Hallie, this is what I like to call _quiet time_. This is the time when we reflect on the things we've just done."

Tossing her hair out of her face, Hallie glared daggers at him, ready to go off. Before she could however the door behind them opened.

"If I were you honey, I wouldn't put up with that shit."

Sebastian's gaze flew up to the mirror as Kathryn and Annette entered the room.

"Yeah, get up and kick him in the balls."

Annette snickered. "Assuming of course you can find them."

Sebastian was so taken aback by their presence he couldn't form a snappy comeback. They were both dressed in the school uniform and they had styled it identically, down to their knee socks and loafers. They reminded Sebastian of those creepy twins in _The Shinning_. It was oddly arousing.

Spinning his chair around he barked. "Get out."

Neither girl moved. He wasn't referring to them anyway. He glanced over at Hallie still pathetically kneeling on the floor and gave a pointed look to the door. She looked like she was about to object, but one glance in the direction of Kathryn and Annette, the two most notorious and popular girls in the school and she knew she was outmatched. Getting to her feet, she quickly gathered her things, looking like she was on the verge of tears before slamming the door behind her.

"There was something oddly familiar about that girl." Annette's eyes twinkled, knowing and mischievous.

Ignoring the remark Sebastian smiled, cool and indifferent, a sharp contrast to the hammering in his chest. "Welcome home ladies. I guess this answers the question of where you've been sis. Here I thought you were off licking your wounds, but apparently you were off licking something else."

"Yes, Annette and I had some lost time to make up for."

He hadn't seen Kathryn in nearly a week. He had just assumed she was taking advantage of the long weekend at whatever spa. Now he realized she had been holed up with the blonde menace the whole time. "Did you really fly all the way down to Kansas to fetch little Dorothy? You do know there's plenty of available pussy in the tri-state area? There's no need to fly it in."

"Not like hers"

Sebastian cocked up impressed eyebrow. "I'll have to take your word on it. I frankly found it a little overrated myself. So, Hargrove, judging by your attire I assume they've let you back in. How on earth did you swing that? Last I checked embezzlement was still a crime."

"Well apparently I was framed," she explained as she crossed the room to stand at the vanity. "Your sister, being the enterprising young woman she is, discovered someone had set me up. They forged the bank documents, even got Anna to lie to the police." Annette reached for his journal, laying open on the vanity before Sebastian snatched it away. "Anyway, we believe the same person who set me up also leaked that video of Kathryn and, get this," she nudged his shoulder. "Even burned down that building that was holding the equipment I was donating. Pretty crazy, huh?"

So that's it, they were going to put everything on him, all tied up in a neat little bow. They weren't exactly subtle. Examining his nails he asked, tone dripping with boredom, "Any ideas who it could be?"

"As a matter of fact…" Annette leaned in and whispered in his ear, "It's you."

Sebastian let out a short laugh. "Is anyone actually buying this horseshit?"

"I'm, here aren't I?"

"Yes, and so am I which means your little plan wasn't completely successful, was it?"

"You always were Aunt Helen's favorite." Kathryn joined them at the vanity, studying her reflection in the mirror. "Unfortunately for you, the old bitch can't save you from everything."

"Meaning?"

Kathryn smiled down at him. "You'll see."

Sebastian looked back and forth between the two of them. "So, what, am I supposed to be scared now?"

"I would be," Annette sing songed.

Kathryn laughed, and it reminded him of that afternoon in her room when she mocked him, called him a toy. "Come on, let's leave him alone to practice his speech."

She took her by the hand, and they headed for the door. Sebastian got to his feet, suddenly unnerved by whatever karma he had coming his way. "Go ahead, do your worst!" he yelled at their retreating backs. "You two bitches can't touch me. I've already won!"

They ignored him until they reached the door. Kathryn paused and turned around, an ominous little smile on her face. "Good luck Sebastian and remember, you earned this."

* * *

"Do you think he'll go through with it?"

"Of course."

Annette wasn't sure she was convinced. She eyed Kathryn as they turned the corner and headed down a busy corridor. Students brushed past them, a few even paused and stared when they saw her, but Annette ignored them, as she had been all morning. Kathryn looked unbothered and confident, head held high impervious to anything. She envied her.

"He has to know he's walking into something. If nothing else, Sebastian isn't a moron."

"He's not a pussy either," Kathryn argued. "He'll show his face. If only to prove he's not a coward. Don't worry, we've got this handled. No one can outrun their fate, including Sebastian."

Annette laughed. "Fate? Since when are you a believer in that?"

"Since I've been given a reason to." Kathryn paused, tugging Annette close, but not so close as to draw attention. She was smiling, beaming really. She looked genuinely happy and the sight of it made Annette's breath quicken. She realized then she'd do anything to keep her that way. Kathryn opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything they were interrupted.

"Oh my god, Annette?!"

She whirled around to find a gapping Siobhan. Immediately a wave of guilt washed over her. _Shit_, she had been so preoccupied with their revenge against Sebastian she hadn't even thought to get in touch with Shiv to tell her she returned. Luckily, she didn't appear to put out about it as she immediately embraced her in a tight hug.

"Holy shit! Emily Nelson said something about seeing you on the quad, but I thought she was just out of her mind on mushrooms again. What are you doing here?"

"Shiv, I'm so sorry. I tried to call you, but I've just been so tied up since I got back."

Annette felt Kathryn touch her back. "I have to go take care of something." She offered up a fake smile at Siobhan who glared at her in return. "If you'll excuse me."

Annette watched her walk away but was quickly pulled into another hug by Shiv. "So, wait, are you really back?"

"Yeah, it looks that way. Full reinstatement and I got my scholarship back. Mrs. Rosemond even apologized."

Shiv shook her head in amazement. "Incredible. How did this happen?"

Annette didn't want to go into the story just now, there wasn't time and the middle of a busy hallway wasn't the place. Maybe later over a bottle of wine. "Um, it's a long story, I'll give you all the details later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you first thing—"

She waved her off. "I don't care, I'm just happy to see you. Girl, this place has been boring as fuck without you."

"Not half as boring as Kansas believe me."

Shiv looked down the hall where Kathryn was talking with a few girls gathered around the lockers. "Does she have anything to do with you being back?"

Annette sighed knowing what was coming. "Maybe."

Shiv groaned. "I'm going to say something—"

Annette held up a hand. "Shiv save your breath. If it hadn't been for Kathryn—"

"If it hadn't been for Kathryn you wouldn't have been sent away in the first place," she remarked with a pointed look. "You love her, I get it, but real talk? She's not good for you. The bitch nearly ruined your life."

"Okay you're being dramatic."

"Am I? The girl set you up on _embezzlement_ charges because you embarrassed her."

"It was a little more complicated than that. Look, I know you're not Kathryn's biggest fan, I know she's difficult, but you know what, so am I. We work together."

"Except when you don't. Kathryn may claim to love you, but Kathryn's number one priority will always be Kathryn. And you can forget ever trying to run for anything ever again. If you stay with her you will always be living in her shadow, she will never let you outshine her."

Annette shook her head. "I don't care about any of that."

"Of course you don't right now," Shiv laughed. "You're in the sex bubble but give it time. Once the orgasms wear off, you'll realize Kathryn only cares about herself and she'll only let you succeed if it's convenient for her." She sighed, hiking her bag higher on her shoulder. "Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm just looking out for you."

She did know that, which was why she didn't tell her to fuck off like she would anyone else trying to tell her what to do. It was hard to resent Shiv when she knew her heart was in the right place. It was even harder when she knew what she was saying carried more than a ring of truth to it. "I know and I appreciate it." Glancing down the hall she noticed Kathryn watching her, curiosity etched on her face. "Um, I have to get going Shiv. I'll talk to you at lunch okay? We can catch up. You can tell me all about you and young Mr. Clifford."

Something that resembled relief settled on her face. "Great, we're cool right?"

"Of course." Annette hugged her. "I missed you Shiv."

"I missed you too. I'll talk to you later?"

She nodded in agreement then headed down the hall to an awaiting Kathryn. As she walked she tried to shake off the conversation but she couldn't, Siobhan's words echoed in her head like some ominous prophecy. Was she right? Were she and Kathryn doomed? Annette couldn't be sure, but it was safe to say the bubble had been officially burst.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Kathryn strived to sound casual or indifferent, but she was afraid she landed on accusatory. Glancing over her shoulder as they turned the corner, she spotted Siobhan watching them with a disapproving pout. That bitch better learn to mind her own business or else Kathryn would gladly show her what happens to people who meddle in her affairs.

"It was nothing," Annette said easily her tone giving away nothing, "We were just catching up."

Aside from all the hugging it didn't look like a particularly friendly conversation. "So, she was warning you against me then?"

"Of course."

Annette smiled but Kathryn remembered the look that was on her face as she turned away from Siobhan, before she thought to mask it. She looked troubled. Even now as she watched her Kathryn was sure she saw something there, an uneasiness.

"Remind me to have a talk with that girl."

She chuckled. "Oh, I don't think so. Shiv poses no threat to you. She's my friend so you're going to leave her alone."

Kathryn's hackles rose at the remark that sounded suspiciously like an order. She came up short and cocked an eyebrow. "Am I now?"

"Yep"

"And if I don't?"

A wicked little smile curved around her lips, her eyes becoming dark. She stepped closer to her, too close than they should be in public and leaned in. "Would you like to find out?"

Before Kathryn could form a reply, she felt herself being shoved backwards, past a door, into an abandoned classroom. "You fucking moron," Kathryn huffed, "Anyone could have seen—"

Annette abruptly cut her off with a sharp, savage kiss. Grasping her by the face, she slammed her into the wall, her tongue thrusting into her mouth at the same time. Kathryn's hands came up to grab at her only for Annette to take hold of her wrists and his surprising force, pin her to the wall. She then pulled back, leaving Kathryn panting. "You're going to leave Shiv alone," she said her mouth hovering just over hers, "Because if you don't, I'm going to tie you to your bed…" Annette snaked her hand under her skirt and teasingly ran her fingers over her lace covered cunt. "Then, I'm going to shove these $500 panties you're currently soaking through, into your mouth…" Kathryn whimpered, squirming against her hand, making her smile. "And then I'm going to stuff your favorite dildo into your tight little cunny and then…I'm going to walk away."

Annette released her and stepped back, a smug grin on her face. "Behave yourself Kathryn."

"You goddam bitch," she panted, equal parts furious and turned on.

Of course, she only laughed. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Kathryn wanted to stomp her foot and demand she come back and fuck her, but she knew they didn't have time for that. Ignoring the ache that had begun to form between her legs, she followed Annette out of the classroom. "I'm going to get you for that," she hissed in her ear as they headed to the auditorium.

"I look forward to it."

As they entered the packed auditorium Kathryn took a deep breath. "Christ, I think the whole school is here," she muttered under her breath.

"All the better." Annette glanced back at her. "Are you ready for this?"

"More than ready. Let's head upstairs."

Glancing through the crowd of students, Kathryn noticed Ainsley and her crew of dipshit friends. It looked like they were holding a seat for her, but she pretended not to notice them, following Annette up to the second-floor balcony. It was considerably less crowded up there, with mostly burnouts and degenerates, hiding from the watchful eyes of the faculty. As she and Annette took seats in the front row, a few curious stares came their way. They ignored them.

Just as they were sitting down the headmaster took the stage to polite applause. The assembly that day was about school pride or some such shit, urging more students to sign up for booster club and the like. Basically, a pep rally minus the jocks and cheerleaders. It was the kind of thing that usually got half the attendance (even though it was mandatory). When the headmaster announced the 'unconventional' new student body president, Kathryn found out why.

"Please welcome our student body president, Sebastian Valmont!"

The room erupted in rapturous applause like Headmaster Hargrove had just announced Beyoncé was on her way out. Kathryn had never heard anything like it. Several people leapt to their feet, some cat called. A few girls down in front were even holding up signs. Even some of the druggie losers around them were applauding enthusiastically.

"Jesus," Kathryn muttered in disgust. "They all love him."

"Not for long." The girls shared a smile.

Sebastian took the stage like a rockstar, basking in the adulation and applause. He took the microphone from Hargrove then shoed him away. "How's everyone doing?"

The crowd roared and Annette made a disgusted sound.

"Look, I know this is lame and no one really gives a shit about school pride, but let's humor the old farts shall we?" This was met with laughter and shouts of agreement while headmaster Hargrove and the rest of the faculty stewed in agitation. "At least it gets us out of class! Now, if I'm being honest, I don't really believe in school pride. Sure, Manchester is the tits." More laughter and applause. "But what I truly believe in is having pride in oneself. Me? I'm the shit. I own it."

When this was met with another wave of cheers Kathryn rolled her eyes and imagined how this same crowd of imbeciles would react if she were to get up there and crow about her own greatness. She'd be labeled a stuck-up bitch no doubt.

"Now, in the past, I've been underestimated. Take this election for example. They said I'd never win, that I didn't have a chance against the phonies and suck-up's that ran this school." His gaze swept the auditorium and Kathryn knew he was searching them out. When he spotted them in the balcony he grinned, mocking and triumphant. "But look at me now and look at them. The lesson here folks, is never underestimate a winner. I always come out on top."

Kathryn smiled. "Now."

Annette removed a small remote from her pocket and hit a button. Immediately a video began playing on the large white screen behind her stepbrother. It was two people fucking, more precisely it was Sebastian and Annette. She was riding him into the mattress.

"You didn't come out on top that time mother fucker," Kathryn muttered under her breath.

The loud murmur swept through the auditorium. Some people laughed, others gasped. The headmaster turned several shades of red as he gaped at the screen before he began demanding loudly for them to turn it off. Sebastian meanwhile watched the screen amused and baffled. Kathryn thought she heard him mouth 'what the fuck?'

Annette made a show of throwing her hands over her face in distress for the few people who noticed her sitting up there. A moment later the image on screen changed. This time it was Sebastian fucking Megan Rollins, a pretty popular senior who had been dating the lacrosse team captain since freshman year. She had also made a big show of calling Kathryn a slut a few weeks ago. Now she was buck naked, on all fours getting ass fucked by the school man whore. Annette turned up the volume. Megan's screeches and demands to 'fuck my butt, fuck it harder' could be heard even in the rafters. A loud shriek of horror cut through the rising roar of the crowd that sounded distinctly like Megan.

They weren't done. The video proceeded to show a dozen more videos Sebastian had recorded of his various conquests, including the purity club president. There were even a few guys. The crowd at that point was livid and horrified, with people crying out for them to turn it off. Several faculty members ran around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to find out where the broadcast was coming from. _Good luck losers_.

When video of his fucking the innocence out of Cecile was shown, Court Reynolds shouted out, "Your dead asshole!"

Sebastian who was now looking up at them in shock barely seemed to notice as the taller, broad shoulder boy came charging after him. A gym coach tried to intervene, but Court shoved him away on his way to the stage. Before he could reach him however, Ronald cut him off, hoping on the stage. "You piece of shit!" He punched Sebastian, sending him reeling backwards.

From there on what could only be described as utter anarchy erupted. Half the audience began to charge at the stage. Angry boyfriends, pissed off girls, ran at the pile on, trying to get to Sebastian. Some people began fighting in the aisles. Teachers tried to put a stop to it, but it was a lost cost. Everyone was rushing around like the world was ending, screaming, crying, throwing punches. A group of girls began trying to tear down the screen themselves despite the fact that the video had ended. The balcony all but emptied out with everyone rushing to join the melee.

As they watched everyone lose their collective shit, Kathryn and Annette slowly rose from their seats and observed the chaos they wrought. Twin smiles of satisfaction spread across their faces. Annette reached for her hand and squeezed it. "I'd say our work here is done."

* * *

"How about a toast?"

Annette mouth paused on her glass of champagne. She had a brief flashback to Sebastian proposing a toast right before he gleefully explained how he had sabotaged their relationship. She made a face. "How about we have a moratorium on all toasts for the conceivable future?"

Kathryn was of course having none of it. "Oh, come on." Shimmying closer to her on the couch, eyes dancing with merriment and whatever narcotic she was currently on, Kathryn held up her glass. She was happy and Annette found her impossible to resist when she was like this. Reluctantly she held her glass up into the air as well.

"To my darling stepbrother, may the smug son of a bitch get what he deserves and then some."

"Here here"

They clinked glasses and sipped. Annette normally wasn't big on champagne, she was a whiskey girl, but damn was it good. Apparently, Kathryn thought so as well. She finished her glass in one gulp then carelessly tossed the crystal stemware aside before launching herself at her. Annette struggled not to drop her own glass as Kathryn kissed her into the couch cushions. Wrapping her arms around her she eventually gave up and gave in, kissing her back just as fiercely.

They were at the Valmont townhouse and for once it was blessedly empty leaving them free to make-out on the couch like the over sexed teenagers they were. Annette couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. Funny enough, she didn't trust it. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Laughing against her mouth, Kathryn pulled back. "I can't believe we pulled it off."

Annette caressed her flushed cheek. "Was there any doubt?"

"With Sebastian, one can never tell. He's wiggled out of tighter jams before."

"Yeah, well he won't be wiggling anywhere this time."

Thinking back on the events of the afternoon Annette had to admit things had gone better than she anticipated. Just as expected, everyone thought Sebastian was responsible for the video being broadcast at the assembly. After all, what girl in her right mind would release her own sex tape for the whole school to see? And besides, everyone knew this kind of stunt was right up Sebastian's depraved alley. He of course denied it adamantly, but no one was buying it. For once, that reputation he prized so much was working against him. Ironic that a boy who got off so much on destroying other's reps would be brought down by his own.

Following the riot in the auditorium (which according to her father would cost the school ten's of thousands of dollars to repair thanks in part to a small fire set by the overzealous cheer squad) Annette had been summoned to the headmaster's office, where an even more chaotic scene awaited her. The office was over run with angry, crying students and furious parents demanding Sebastian's head while her father stood in the middle of it trying to calm everyone down while alternately ragging about the horrors of pornography. Helen was there too, drinking in the scene with wide eyed surprise, standing guard at the small office where they had Sebastian stashed. Annette caught a brief glimpse of him, slouched in a chair, his pretty face, beaten and bloody, looking dazed and more than a little freaked out. Annette had almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

They had pulled her into the office, along with a psychologist (clearly Helen's doing) who was offering counselling for Sebastian's 'victims'. Kathryn was there too, for moral support as Annette told her story how Sebastian seduced her, and she had no idea had recorded their coupling. She sobbed pathetically, trembling in embarrassment and shame. No doubt Helen and her father knew she was full of shit, but the other school board members present ate it up, apologizing profusely and promising Sebastian would be punished to the full extent.

Later, when she was heading home, Annette got into the elevator and Helen slipped in after her. She wasted no time getting down to business.

"_Quite the circus. I hope you and my niece are proud of yourselves."_

_Annette smiled, eyes straight ahead. "I don't know what you mean."_

"_You know I have half a mind to rescind your scholarship young lady."_

"_I wouldn't recommend it Helen. Afterall, you wouldn't want to appear vindictive towards one of your nephew's victims. People might stop believing the sun shines out of your ass if you did."_

Of course nothing more was said on the subject after that. They both knew Helen would have no choice but to expel her only nephew if only to save face in front of the public.

"You were incredible." Kathryn nuzzled against her neck. "When you started crying and whimpering, I actually started to get turned on."

Annette reached for the bottle of champagne and took a swig from the bottle, smiling. "I think I missed my calling as an actress."

"Ainsley texted me, they are calling an emergency meeting of the board to discuss the 'Valmont situation'. Between that shit storm of an assembly and the anonymous info dump they all received with the affidavits against him, they'll have no choice but to boot his ass. Even dear old aunt Helen can't save him now."

Annette drank in the triumphant look of glee in her eyes. "I wonder if they'll reinstate you as president now?"

Kathryn swiped the bottle from her and shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it."

She wasn't all too convinced that was true. She herself didn't care either way. "You must be feeling pretty good. As the only prominent girl in school _not_ to be caught fucking the school slut on video, you're back to being worshipped once again."

Kathryn's smile dimmed a little. "What about you? Everyone knows the manifesto was a lie or at the very least Sebastian made it a lie. Your reputation might not be what it once was."

Annette laughed. "Well seeing as everyone thought I was an embezzler up until a few hours ago, I think being viewed as one of Sebastian's castoff's is sadly an improvement." When she noticed Kathryn's brow furrow in concern she assured her, "It's fine, I knew what I was getting into. It was for the greater good. Besides, I'm in a rather large and crowded boat at the moment. I don't foresee getting singled out."

Kathryn leaned in and kissed her. "You're amazing."

"I don't think I can get used to all this fervent praise," she quipped.

"Enjoy it while you can. I'll go back to calling you a cunt in no time."

Annette laughed, pulling her into another kiss. They made out languidly for a moment, Annette giving her over to the sensation of being consumed by the most overwhelming person she's ever known. Then abruptly Kathryn pulled away, kneeling over her. "Let's go out and celebrate."

She groaned. "I don't think so, I'm happy where I am."

"But I got all dressed up."

Indeed she had. Kathryn was wearing a tight slinky, blood red dress, with a low cut front displaying an impressive amount of cleavage. The dress was nice, but Annette would prefer to see it on the floor. Running a hand over her breasts she hummed, "Let's stay in. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Her eyes, darkening in lust, Kathryn licked her lips and straddled her waist. Sliding a hand up her shirt, Annette whimpered as her thumb rubbed circles against her nipple. "Would you do that thing you threatened to do to me earlier?"

Annette cocked an amused brow. "Got off on that did you?"

"Uh huh."

She chuckled, and hooked her arms around her neck, dragging her down for a kiss. "Nasty little slut," she murmured against her before devouring her mouth. Annette's hand shot up under her dress to grope her ass, tug her closer. Kathryn groaned into her mouth, her hand pressed to the inside of her thigh. She began working her fingers into her panties when a familiar voice rang out across the room.

"Well doesn't this fucking figure."

The girls jerked apart, looking up to see Sebastian crossing the long parlor. If it was possible, he looked even worse than the last time Annette had seen him. His lip was busted open, he had a small bandage over his nose and his eyes were starting to blacken. Still dressed in his school uniform, his jacket was ripped, as were his pants, his tie hung loose around his neck. He looked exhausted as he dragged himself over to the wet bar, barely sparing them a glance. "Please," in toned his voice devoid of emotion "don't let me spoil the celebration."

The girls shared a bemused look, Kathryn appeared on the verge of giddiness as she untangled from Annette and kneeled over the side of the couch. "You're not looking so good brother dear," she cooed with false concern. "Is something wrong?"

Sebastian released a humorless laugh. He dropped some ice into a napkin for a makeshift ice pack. "What makes you say that? I'm crushing it. Life is awesome."

Annette stretched out on the couch, arm behind her head, coolly observing the scene before her. "Hard day?"

"You could say that." He filled a glass with something, scotch most likely, nearly to the top, then turned around to face them. Sebastian's lips were twisted in a sardonic smile that didn't meet his eyes. "Well, hats off, I honestly never saw this coming. You two out played me." He lifted his glass in salute. "Well done."

"Don't keep us in suspense." Kathryn demanded. "Did they boot you or what?"

"That they did sis. Not surprising given half the parents threatened to pull their kids out of school if they didn't. Aunt Helen tried to put up a fight on my behalf but apparently the school board got wind of some damaging information that I rigged the election and framed your girlfriend." He took a long pull of his drink. "I take it that was your handy work?"

"I was," Annette replied, examining her manicure.

"Well congratulations, you win. I even heard Hargrove rumbling about giving you your position back. It's a shame I won't be around for your victory party."

"Oh? Are you going somewhere?"

"The parentals have seen fit to ship me off to military school for the remainder of my senior year. Apparently, they are hoping it will beat some discipline into me," Sebastian explained dispassionately. "But really they are just hoping to appease the angry mob and limit the lawsuits."

Annette wasn't particularly surprised by this revelation. The only way the rich knew how to deal with their troublesome children was to ship them off somewhere where someone else can deal with their problems. The surprising thing was _Kathryn_ seemed shocked by this.

Rising up from the couch to stand in front of him, her expression tense, she remarked, "Wait, are you serious?"

Sebastian nodded. "It seems your mother is getting her fondest wish realized. I have a feeling my father looks at this as an early anniversary present."

Annette felt indifferent to Sebastian's self-pity but clearly Kathryn did not. Her expression was etched with concern as she drank this in. "They can't just—"

"Oh, but they can. They are flying home tomorrow and I'm to be shipped out the day after next. I was hoping it would be to that co-ed one upstate but no dice. Apparently, it's in bumfuck Iowa or some such shit. All boys."

"Better get your dick sucking skills up to par Valmont," Annette quipped. Kathryn shot her a sharp look that gave her pause. Was she really that upset by this?

Sebastian didn't seem particularly offended by the remark, offering her a wan smile. "I have to admit, you two put up a hell of a fight. I thought I was better at this than you were, I actually thought I could destroy you." He laughed humorlessly. "Jokes' on me though. Even after everything I put you through, you still ended up together. I guess you two are the real deal after all." Setting his drink down he shuffled towards Annette who sat up a little straighter, half expecting him to attack her or something. When he thrust out his hand to her she stared at it a moment like it was diseased. She glanced over at Kathryn who appeared as bewildered as she was. Sebastian rolled his eyes until Annette reluctantly shook his hand. "You're a cunt Hargrove, but you're a hell of a competitor.

"Thanks?"

Annette eyed him wondering if he was on the level with this or if it was just another game. Oddly enough, something told her he was being sincere.

"Sebastian did you sustain some kind of brain injury during your beat down?" Kathryn asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "You're starting to freak me out."

"If only. No, I think this whole thing just delivered some much needed clarity." Standing before his stepsister he told her, "You were right you know."

"About?"

"What you said to me that night at my hotel room." He shrugged. "I was lying. I didn't mean any of that shit I said to you. I was scared and fucked up. Despite everything you've done, you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

Kathryn stared up at him, looking baffled. Sebastian wrapped her in a half hug and kissed her temple. He then murmured something Annette couldn't hear. She didn't know what to make of this defeated, apologetic Sebastian and clearly neither did Kathryn.

"You're taking all the fun out of this," she muttered, hand at his chest. "You were supposed to come in here, angry and threatening to destroy us—"

"Making a fool of yourself," she added.

He smiled, looking briefly like his old rakish self. "My apologies, but it's getting a little old isn't it, this back and forth tug of war bullshit?"

"You're not wrong," Annette muttered.

"I'm not having any fun, are you? It's time to move on." Sebastian picked up his drink and waved it in the air. "Consider this me waving the white flag."

Neither girl said anything for along beat as they silently stared at one another. Not sure what to make of any of this.

"What about your mother?" Kathryn spoke up. "Couldn't she intervene, talk to Edward?"

Sebastian laughed. "I highly doubt it. My father has never listened to her before I don't think, he'll start now." It occurred to Annette that she nearly forgotten Sebastian had a mother. She pictured a well coifed blonde version of Tiffany and made a mental note to ask Kathryn about it later.

"What if I talked to my mother?"

Both Sebastian and Annette regarded her with surprise. They both were more than aware of Kathryn's contentious relationship with the woman and her reluctance to stand up to her. Sebastian's brow lifted slightly and his battered lip twisted in a wry grin. "Thanks, but I think it's too late for that. _Alea iacta est_."

Kathryn snorted and leaned into him, letting her chin rest against his chest. "God you're a pretentious twat. Always showing off."

Sebastian caressed her hair, holding her against him. His gaze drifted towards Annette and she waited for the normal smug, arrogant smile of his to take hold. It never came, his expression remained resigned. _Huh_. "So, what now?" she asked, not really sure which one she was talking to.

Kathryn pulled away, looking up at him. "Want to get drunk?"

"Always."

* * *

"I can't figure you out."

Sebastian pulled the bottle of red wine he had been chugging away from his lips and regarded his nemesis lounging beside him. Annette was curled up on the other side of the couch, eye glassy, limbs loose, dress skirting up dangerously close to her thighs, betraying her obvious intoxicated nature. He had to admit he definitely preferred drunk Annette, to self-righteous bitch Hargrove. Sebastian himself was feeling no pain, despite the fact that his life was currently in free fall. He blamed all the shots.

Letting his head rest against the brass finish of the couch he murmured against the lid of the bottle, "Well according to you, I'm a painfully predictable, overhyped simpleton, so I don't know why you'd bother."

"You are, you are all those things," she agreed, wobbling slightly as she pulled herself up more. She didn't bother to fix her dress leaving her ass peeking out the bottom. It bothered him how cute she was to him at this moment. He pulled his eyes away to settle on her scrunched-up face. "But that's not what I'm talking about. I mean I can't figure out if you're on the level or not. Is this whole-sad-defeated thing an act?"

"If it was, you can't honestly think I would tell you," he teased.

"This is true"

"You're pathologically cynical Hargrove. I can't believe you didn't grow up around here."

She beamed a little bit at that. She _would_ take it as a compliment. "You could be just waiting for our defenses to go down and when we're least expecting it, _bang_."

He chuckled at her exaggerated facial expressions. "What would I have to gain from that?"

"What would you have to lose?" she countered.

Sebastian released a huff of air from his nose then let his head lull in the direction of the wet bar where Kathryn was sloppily making martinis. She was clearly drunker than both of them, her hips swaying enticingly to the music pumping loudly through their expensive stereo, Prince was wailing about Nikki grinding. Fuck she was sexy.

"You want to know a secret Hargrove?" he asked, his gaze still on his stepsister. "Victory is boring, not to mention fleeing. In most cases it's not worth the inevitable casualties it produces. War is not fun."

"How profound," she mocked, taking the wine bottle from him. "You better not let _her_ hear that. It's like telling a kid Santa isn't real."

He snorted. "You're funny when you're drunk."

"I know." Pointing the bottle at him she remarked, "You're still holding a torch."

"For _you_?"

"Ew. No." She nodded at Kathryn.

Sebastian swiped the bottle back. "Can you blame me?"

Annette smiled, for once devoid of cynicism. "Not really."

He sat up a little. "Hargrove, do me a favor? Take care of her when I'm gone."

Her brow furrowed a little and she opened her mouth to reply but whatever she was going to say died on her tongue when Kathryn trotted back over, holding two martinis. She handed one over to Annette and downed her own in nearly one gulp. "What are you two losers gossiping about?"

"What a pain in the ass you are," Annette replied without missing beat.

"Oh please," she huffed, flopping down on the couch between them. Laying across Hargrove's lap, heedless to the fact that she was disrupting her drink, she remarked, "You'd be bored out of your fucking minds without me." Her head swung in his direction and she added, "_Both_ of you."

While she was no doubt completely right, Sebastian argued, "Or we would be living completely normal, healthy, productive lives."

"Exactly. _Boring_."

Sebastian shook his head and smiled with affection. She was nearly impossible to despise when she was like this. Reaching up, Kathryn touched his bruises mouth, and her inebriated mood darkened a little. "I don't want you to leave," she murmured.

Taking a pull of his drink he sighed, "Then you probably shouldn't have thrown a grenade into my life."

Her frown deepened. "They were just supposed to kick you out of school, not the state."

"Well neither one of us has ever been very good at forecasting the consequences of our actions, have we?"

"Do you hate me?"

"Yes"

She smiled at that and pressed harder at his wound like a child burning an ant under a magnified glass. "Liar."

"Ow." Sebastian swatted her hand away. "Bitch."

Kathryn laughed, rolling against Hargrove's lap. "Who will Annette and I torment, if you're not here?"

He looked up and met the blondes amused stare. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find some poor son of a bitch." Sebastian wanted to make a remark about them needing a third party to maintain their demented union but his alcohol-soaked brain couldn't come up with a pithy enough comment. Besides, despite the fact that they had literally ruined his life, he wasn't feeling all that much hostility towards either of them. If anything, all he was feeling was an odd affection. Staring down at the empty shot glasses from earlier, he wondered if Kathryn spiked them with something.

"Give me some of that." Kathryn made a grab for his wine bottle and Sebastian held it playfully out of reach. "Give it!"

He laughed at her, his chest filled with warmth, as he held the bottle over her mouth and teased, "Just a drop. Open up."

A few scarlet drops rolled out, dropping into her mouth. Before Sebastian could stop her, Kathryn reached for the bottle, causing a healthy amount to spill out onto her face and Hargrove's lap. Both girls squealed and shrieked which soon gave way to laughter.

"Serves you right," he laughed, "Greedy little thing."

Kathryn pulled herself up. Still laughing, she made a half-hearted attempt to clean the mess off her lover. Tugging at her black top she tutted, "You should take this off."

Annette laughed. "I don't think so."

His stepsister playfully tugged at her shirt, rustling it up, as Annette shrieked and giggled, twisting away from her. At some point their mouths found each other and they began kissing. It was all eager and sloppy, the two of them pressing up tight against one another, drunken silliness giving way to lust.

Sebastian observed silently, knowing he should probably excuse himself, but he didn't want to. Nothing left to lose as Hargrove thoughtfully reminded him. His gaze dropped to where Kathryn was still clutching his leg. Kissing her and touching him. He wondered if she even realized she was doing it. _God this is a weird fucking night_, he thought.

It was about to get weirder.

Kathryn pulled off of Hargrove and looked over her shoulder at him. The look on her face was pure filth. "I want more wine."

He arched a brow. She clearly wasn't referring to the fucking wine. "Haven't you had enough for tonight?"

"Never"

Sebastian let the wine bottle slip from his hand, landing on the carpet with a thud, as he sat up and leaned in closer to them. As soon as he was within reach, Kathryn grasped on to his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Her swollen lips were wet and lasted like vodka and they burned his injured mouth but oddly enough he liked it. It felt real. Her tongue danced against his lips before seeking out his, making him whimper against her. Sebastian cupped her cheek, wanting to draw her in further, but she was already turning away. His eyes opened, finding Annette watching them. He expected to find hostility or at least annoyance, but there was neither. If anything, she looked curious, maybe even turned on.

_Huh_

Kathryn resumed kissing the blond, her hand still fisted in his shirt. Realizing he had been invited into whatever the hell was happening there, Sebastian shifted behind her and taking hold of her waist, he pressed up tight against her. She whimpered in response, her hips grinding against him. Fuck, he was already hard. Grasping a hand full of her hair, he leaned in and kissed down her neck, letting his teeth scrape the delicate skin.

"Shit," Kathryn gasped, breaking away from Hargrove's mouth. She arched against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Sebastian's mouth found hers again, as his gaze fell to Annette, who was working a hand beneath his stepsisters' dress. She was more into this that he initially would have suspected. Sebastian jerked the garment up further so he could watch as her fingers disappeared into her panties. His dick twitched in his pants, his body thrumming with unreleased tension, that threatened to undue him.

"Fuck, touch me," she panted. It was unclear which one of them she was referring to, but it didn't matter. Neither one of them was going to stop touching her anytime soon. Sebastian's hand slid down the front of her dress to grope her tit, rubbing her nipple until it became a hard little stone between her fingers. He pinched it, drawing a sharp intake from her followed by a whiny demand for more.

She was wet, he could hear it as Hargrove worked her over. Could smell it too. It made him salivate and want to hold her down and fuck the shit out of her. Evidently, they were on the same wavelength as Kathryn reached between them and began working his pants open. Sebastian gasped as her hand wrapped around his throbbing cock and tugged.

While she jerked him off, her other hand tugged at Annette's shirt. "Take this off."

The blond sat up a little, obediently removing her shirt and tossing it carelessly away. Valmont's gaze fell to her tits, encased in a black mesh bra. Now totally driven by instinct and lust forgetting for the moment he mostly hated her, he reached for her, hand groping her breast, while Kathryn squeezed the other. Hargrove fell forward a little bit, eyes fluttering shut, lips parting. Sebastian had a weird flashback to that summer, with Annette underneath him, that same expression on her face as he touched her. Unable to resist, he leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes opened briefly in surprise and her mouth went tight before slowly yielding under his. He felt her hand settle on his neck, drawing him in tighter.

He could feel his stepsister, against them, kissing Hargrove's neck, her hand still working him over. He broke away from Hargrove, only long enough to take a deep breath before Kathryn was kissing him again. He was vaguely aware of Kathryn unbuttoning his shirt and Hargrove's nails on his chest, but he quickly lost track of who was touching who as everything melted into sensation. The music was still blearing loud and insistent, but it felt far away. Everything seemed far away except this.

Maybe that's why when another person entered the room, they were all completely oblivious until he called out, "What the fuck is this?"

The three of them drew up short, their mouths breaking away from whatever body part they were kissing, sucking or biting. Their heads simultaneously swiveled in the direction on the unwanted party.

Court fucking Reynolds.


	30. The Plot Thickens

**Chapter 29: The Plot Thickens**

* * *

"What the fuck is this?"

It was amazing how quickly one could sober up when their ass was on the line. Annette seemingly went from well past the legal limit drunk to stone cold sober in the blink of an eye. Her heart hammered fiercely in her chest as she scrambled to get her shirt back on, all the while keeping one eye on the newly arrived Court.

"Well looky here," he called out loudly across the parlor. "Three assholes for the price of one."

The pounding in her heart began to recede slightly as she realized upon further examination that Court was very, _very_ intoxicated. Like, having trouble standing upright drunk. There was a good chance he wouldn't even remember this in the morning.

"Court how the hell did you get in here?" Kathryn demanded looking over his shoulder for a servant. Annette was wondering the same thing seeing as she practically had to bum rush the butler to get in the front door every time she came over.

"Oh, I told them I came by to fuck you and they let me right in." He grinned, drunk and mean. "Apparently you still have quite the open door of suitors Kat."

"Fuck off," Annette snarled at him.

He looked over at her and scoffed loudly. "What are _you_ even doing here Hargrove? Did you come back for sloppy seconds with Valmont and decide to try out Merteuil's twat instead?" His gaze moved to his ex-girlfriend and her stepbrother. "I always knew there was something fucked up about the two of you. Just wait until everyone finds out that not only are you a rug muncher but a brother fucker as well." He laughed, "They'll crucify you."

Kathryn slowly rose from the settee with a lethal look in her eyes. Sounding decidedly more sober than she had ten minutes ago she ordered him, "You're not going to open your fucking mouth about anything you _think_ you saw here this evening asshole. Because if you do, I just might be forced to release a certain incriminating video tape, which up until now I have kept generously to myself but if your cross me shithead, I promise you I will bring down a world of pain on your head."

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Judging by the way his confidence noticeably dimmed Annette would say, yeah, he certainly was.

"Reynolds, what the fuck do you want?" Sebastian snapped.

Court lumbered further into the room. Shoving his floppy hair out of his eyes, he pointed threateningly at Sebastian. "I want to kick your ass motherfucker."

"Well, I think a few dozen people already beat you to it," he deadpanned.

Court didn't seem to be listening. "You sick fuck. Cecile was sweet and pure and _good_ and you ruined her. I loved her man!

"Boo hoo." Kathryn smiled mockingly at him. "It's a shame she didn't love you back Court."

"Fuck you bitch!" Court started to charge at her. Annette leapt to her feet, but Sebastian quickly shoved him back before he could get too close. The taller boy stumbled backwards, on his ass. Getting his bearings, he struggled to his feet.

"Court, leave now," Kathryn ordered "Before I call the police and have your ass arrested for trespassing."

He didn't seem to hear her as his wild gaze swung back and forth between them. "Wait. I get it now. The three of you are in on this together."

Annette shook her head. "Excuse me? In on what?"

"Oh my god! How did I not see this? It's all connected. You're trying to…fuck with me or something." He pointed accusingly at Sebastian. "You fucked my girl and you," he pointed at Kathryn, "You set him up to do it and you," he turned to Annette and shook his head. "I don't know what _you_ have to do with anything, but you're just as fucked up as the two of them. Because of you I haven't been able to piss without kneeling over in pain!"

Kathryn made a face and looked at her. "What's he talking about?"

Annette shrugged, unbothered. "The night of the gala I may have left him stranded naked on the beach. He got jumped or something."

Sebastian snorted and Kathryn laughed. "That's called karma shithead."

"You want to talk karma Kat?" Court fumbled in his coat pocket for something. She was half expecting it to be a flask. She was rather surprised when it turned out to be a small handgun instead. Waving it at them he exclaimed, "How's this for karma?"

"Jesus Christ," Sebastian groaned. "Put that away Reynolds."

As absurd as it sounded, Annette's first instinct when she saw Court waving around that gun was to laugh. It was just so melodramatic. Had he ever even shot a gun before?

Of course, leave it to Kathryn to decide to make a potentially dangerous situation even worse.

"You fucking moron Court," she snapped. "Are you kidding me with this?"

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up. How does it feel, huh, to know I hold all the power for once?!"

"You hold shit!" Kathryn snarled walking towards him. Annette grabbed at her arm to stop her, but she shook her off. "You're nothing more than a goddamn pussy Court, you always have been. Do you honestly think bringing a gun into my house makes you the man?"

"Kathryn—"

"Take another step and I swear I'll shoot you," he threatened.

Kathryn laughed, mocking and cruel. "As if you had the balls. No wonder Cecile flopped on her back for Ronald."

"Fucking hell Kathryn," Sebastian groaned. "Reynolds. Leave now."

"Don't tell me what to do asshole!"

"Will everybody calm the fuck down!"

Everyone was talking at once and then suddenly a gunshot cut through the noise, Annette heard a scream and realized it came from her own throat as she watched Kathryn and Sebastian fall to the floor. Her heart hammered frantically in her chest as she rushed over. The first thing she noticed was the blood on Kathryn's hands. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't hers. It was Sebastian's.

* * *

As it turns out, getting shot isn't as glamourous as it's portrayed in the movies.

For one thing, it hurts like hell. Which was saying something given the epic ass kicking he had received earlier in the day. It was also incredible gross. Sebastian never really had a problem with blood, but there was something about seeing your own come pouring out of you that could suddenly turn one squeamish. Luckily, Reynolds only got him in the arm and the bullet went straight through him so there would likely be no permanent damage. He made a mess out of his stepmother's favorite Aubusson, however. He was likely never to hear the end of _that_.

The only thing making the situation marginally bearable was getting to witness Kathryn reaming out a couple of New York's finest.

"I don't understand the problem here," Kathryn spat, with all the haughtiness of her class. The two cops she was chewing out where easily twice the size of her, but even they withered under the full force of his stepsister in bitch mode. "How fucking difficult is it to locate one idiotic teenage boy? Put out an APB or whatever the fuck it is you morons do!"

They were all still gathered in the parlor, save for Court who took off running right after the gun went off. Sebastian was on a stretcher while a couple of paramedics worked on temporarily bandaging his wound. Annette was being interviewed by two cops, while a few more officers poked around the room. Jack had shown up right after Court had left, apparently, he followed his drunken friend to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Too little, too late asshole. He stood beside Kathryn trying to reel her in. _Good luck with that_.

"Kathryn I'm sure they are doing everything in their power to find him." Jack was almost pathologically calm. Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the familiar way his hand touched her lower back. Even more interesting was it seemed to work. He could visible see some of the fight leave her tense shoulders.

"Miss, we have several officers out there looking for him," the burly cop explained. "Trust me, he won't get far. They never do in these types of situations. I'm sure we'll locate him in the next couple hours."

This just managed to set her off again. "A few _hours_? He tried to kill me. He nearly killed my step-brother—"

"Let's not be dramatic," he sighed. Eyeing the young, serious faced female paramedic who was tending to his arm he asked, "There won't be any permanent damage, right?"

"Not likely. You're very lucky though. Had that bullet gone a couple inches to left it would have hit your heart."

Kathryn's eyes widened and she swung back around to the cop. "I want him found _now_!"

Even though Sebastian wouldn't have minded seeing Court in handcuffs, he was sensible enough to know that might be more trouble than it was worth. "I won't be pressing charges," he announced.

"Excuse me?" Kathryn strut up to him, face pinched in annoyance. "Don't be an idiot. Of course, you're pressing charges."

Speaking in a more discreet tone he reminded her, "Court had a shit load of grievances against us. Do you really want him making them public?" Then for good measure he said loudly, "Besides, it was an accident."

Annette came up beside him and added, "He has a point."

The cop spoke up before Kathryn could argue. "I appreciate you wanting to protect your friend Mr. Valmont—"

"That yeast infection is _not_ my friend."

"Either way, it's not up to you whether or not to press charges. What he did was a felony and—" He was interrupted by another cop who muttered something in his ear. "Okay, good news, we found him. He's at a bar down in Hell's Kitchen. We're picking him up now."

"Finally," Kathryn sighed.

"We'll be in touch."

Most of the officers followed him out. As they departed Jack pulled Kathryn aside. They talked quietly and then shared a hug. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at this then looked at Annette standing beside the stretcher. If she was annoyed by this, she played it close to the vest. Sebastian of course couldn't help provoking her. "It appears you might have some competition."

Annette glared at him then looked to the EMT. "If he happens to bleed to death on the way to the hospital, no one will blame you."

Ignoring her the EMT announced, "We have to get going."

"I'm going with him," Kathryn called out as Jack made a quiet exit.

"I'll meet you there." Annette took her hand. "Do you need anything?"

"Change of clothes?"

She nodded then leaned in and gave her a brief kiss on her cheek. Before leaving she paused in front of him. "I'm glad you're not dead idiot."

"Gee thanks."

The paramedics wheeled him to the elevator then out the front door, with Kathryn walking silently beside him. Sebastian grimaced in pain as they lifted him into the ambulance. "Be careful!" she hissed at them.

"It's fine," he assured her as the all pilled in and took off.

As the two EMT's fussed over him, Sebastian studied his stepsister. She was sitting upright in her debutante position. Back rim rod straight, hands folded in her lap, eyes blankly staring straight ahead. It was her hands that gave him pause. They were stained in his blood. Sebastian snickered.

"What?"

"You literally have my blood on your hands."

Kathryn examined her hands and frowned, then looked down at him, face serious. "Why did you do it?"

He knew what she was referring to, but he played dumb. "Do what?"

"Jump in front of a bullet for me."

He let out a long exhale through his nose. "I have no fucking clue. Maybe some latent instinct to play hero, maybe I thought it might convince the aparentals to nix the whole military school thing or maybe…" he paused and looked up into her curious face and admitted. "Maybe, I prefer you in my life rather than out of it."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah, but you could have. It was fucking stupid to antagonize him like that."

He expected her to clap back with some kind of catty defense. Sebastian was rather taken aback when instead she bowed her head and murmured quietly, "You're right. Shit Sebastian, I don't know what I would have done if you…"

"Left you alone with Edward and Tiffany?"

"Exactly." They shared a smile filled with all the things they wanted to say but couldn't. Sebastian could survive being shot but he didn't know if he would survive if anything had happened to her. It was a small revelation to realize she felt the same way.

"Lucky for us Reynolds is a crap shot or things could have gotten very messy."

"Please," Kathryn huffed, easily slipping back into arrogant princess mode. "If either one of us are going out that way, it won't be at the hands of Court fucking Reynolds."

"Amen."

Kathryn eyed him with a bemused smile. "Don't tell me your little brush with death has pushed you to find religion."

He let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Bite your tongue. I'll save the phony sanctimony for you." Giving her a lascivious once over he remarked, "However there is something to be said about worshipping on one's knees."

"That's my boy, always thinking with your dick." Kathryn leaned down and gently cupping his face, kissed him. It was brief, but enough to get his heart racing and the monitor beside him to start beeping.

When she pulled away, Sebastian noticed the EMT watching them slack jawed. Kathryn smiled at her. "It's fine. We're _very_ close."

* * *

Annette arrived at the hospital to find quite the scene. Stepping off the elevator she was greeted by the sound of a man's angry shouts. As she made her way down the hospital corridor, back to the room she was instructed by the woman manning the front desk, she was surprised to find the angry man was none other than Edward Valmont. Every time she had encountered him previously, he had been jovial and easy going. This was a switch.

"I don't give a rat's ass who his father is, I want that little son of a bitch locked up!" he bellowed to an exhausted looking man in an expensive suit. "Garrett Reynolds is not the only one with pull in this town!"

"I understand that Edward," the man sighed, in a tone that argued he had been making the same argument for awhile now. "However—"

"What about De Blasio? Can't he step up?"

Keeping her head down, trying to remain inconspicuous as she passed them, Annette snuck past the adults into the hospital room. Sebastian, wearing a gown and a sling around his arm was sitting up his hospital bed looking tired and annoyed, talking quietly with his stepsister who was helping herself to some water. They looked up when she entered, Kathryn's face breaking into that infamous smile that made her momentarily stop breathing.

"Thank god," she sighed as she came sailing over. She greeted Annette with a brief kiss then took the overnight bag she had procured for her. "I'm desperate to get out of this."

Annette glanced down at the red super tight, super short dress she was wearing and she could see why. While it looked perfectly acceptable at home or at the club, it was a little inappropriate underneath the fluorescent lights of the hospital room.

"What's going on out there?" she nodded towards the scene just outside the room. Two nurses and a security officer had joined them, trying to calm Edward down.

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "They aren't arresting Court."

"What? I thought that cop said—"

"The cop didn't take into account Court being a senators son. Garrett Reynolds pulled some strings and Court is currently sleeping off his hangover at the family compound in Rhode Island."

Annette didn't know why she was surprised. "Doesn't Edward own half this city?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Which is why this has the potential to become a real shit show."

"Unless someone steps in and defuses the situation," Sebastian remarked with a pointed look at Kathryn. "We wouldn't want Reynolds running his mouth about anything he witnessed tonight or anything that might have antagonized him, would we?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "What are the odds he'll even remember it in the morning?"

"Slim," Sebastian agreed. "But do you really want to take the chance?"

She sighed, then with a dutiful nod turned and headed into the fray. Annette watched impressed as Kathryn placed a soothing hand on her stepfather's lower back and spoke softly to the irritated adults. In mere minutes the yelling stopped, and cooler heads seemed to prevail. Annette shook her head in admiration.

Wandering over to Sebastian she asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

He shrugged, his gaze still on the scene outside the room. "I'll live." He flashed her a cocky grin. "Sorry."

"Oh, I don't want you dead Valmont," she sighed, filling up a glass of ice water. "I'll settle for maimed and…silent."

Holding up his injured arm he told her, "Well you're halfway there. Besides, you didn't seem to mind my presence a few hours ago."

Annette winced as she recalled the almost threesome. "Best we don't speak of that again. _Ever_."

"Agreed"

"It was the alcohol"

"Totally"

Admiring Kathryn as she spoke softly with her stepfather, calming him down, something in her stomach clenched as she realized it could have been her in that hospital bed or worse had Reynolds been more sober or a better shot. "You saved her life you know."

Sebastian shrugged. "You would have done the same thing."

Annette wasn't sure why, but something about that statement and the sureness of this tone gave her pause. Before she could dwell on it further, Edward stepped into the room, decidedly calmer. Clasping his hands together he announced, "We have to have a little family meeting." Edward blinked as if just realizing she was in the room. He forced his normal jovial smile. "Hello, Ms. Hargrove, nice to see you again. Um, you wouldn't mind if I spoke to my children alone for a minute?"

"Of course not." She set her glass down and after shooting a brief smile at Sebastian, made for the door. Kathryn reached out, brushing her hand as she passed, a knowing look flashed in her eyes that Annette mirrored.

She stepped out in the hall where the lawyer was barking commands into his cell phone. Passing him she thought about going to find a cup of coffee in the cafeteria or a snack in the vending machine, but then she reached into her coat pocket and pulling out her phone, she was struck by the need for something else. She needed advice.

Annette dialed up Trevor knowing that even though it was damn near the middle of the night he would still pick up. Sure enough he didn't disappoint her. "Oh, baby girl this better be good," he greeted her with a warm, rough laugh. "I gotta be up in two hours for this lab thing."

"I'm so sorry, but trust me you'll want to hear this."

"Hit me."

She told him about everything that had gone down that day save for the infamous almost threesome which felt like a whole bag of worms she wasn't ready to dissect at the moment. By the time she finished there was a long pause and she thought for a moment he might have gone back to sleep but then he started laughing. "Yep, that was definitely worth it. I swear to Christ Annie, more happens to you in one night than happens to me all year long."

"Somehow I doubt that," she replied dryly. "I really didn't mean to lay all of this on you. I just needed someone to talk to who wouldn't be so…judgmental."

"Well we both know I'm not really in any position to judge anyone besides, you haven't done anything to be judged for. That Reynolds kid is the one who pulled the gun."

"It's not that," she sighed, picking at the paper edge of the poster she was standing beside. She took a deep breath, gearing herself up for what she was about to say. "I'm wondering if…if I made a mistake getting back with Kathryn."

Her announcement was greeted with a long pause. "Mmm, what's bringing on this may I ask?"

"I don't know," she sighed, "Just…everything. This whole crazy night and you said it yourself, my life was never this chaotic before."

"Yeah, but isn't that what you wanted, a life filled with excitement?"

"Sure, but excitement that I can control. There's no controlling Kathryn. I've tried."

He snorted. "Sounds like someone else I know."

She sighed as she stared down towards Sebastian's room. "That's the other thing. I'm starting to wonder if we're too similar to make this thing work. We're both too selfish, too ruthlessly ambitious. Siobhan said something to me earlier—"

"So, you're basing all this on someone else's advise to you? That doesn't sound like my Annie."

"No, no that's not it. I mean she made a good point. If we're together, Kathryn will never let me outshine her. Her ego will never let her come in second to anyone. Even someone she claims to love."

"Once again, that sounds familiar."

"Exactly."

"I don't know Annie," he yawned on the other end. "I think you may be being too hasty. It's been a long night, you're probably just freaked out. Get some sleep, think it over. Bet it will look different in the morning."

"You're telling me to sleep on it?"

"What do you want from me? I don't exactly do long term relationships or really any relationships."

"Yeah me either until recently."

"Now, if you want to know how to sneak out of a bedroom undetected in the middle of the night and shimmy down a drainpipe I'm your guy, otherwise…"

"I'll keep that in mind." Annette's wry smile soon crumbled as Sebastian's earlier words filtered unwanted into her brain. Forgetting for a moment she was on the phone she said out loud, "I would have jumped in front of a bullet for her."

She could hear Trevor inhale sharply on the other end. "Well, that's a good thing, right?"

"I'm not so sure," she admitted quietly.

Trevor said something to her then, but she got distracted when Sebastian's door opened, and Kathryn stepped out of the room. Spotting her she approached, now dressed in the cashmere sweats Annette had brought for her.

"Hey Trev, I have to go. Thanks for listening."

"Any time baby girl. Call me tomorrow."

"You know it."

She hung up the phone as Kathryn arrived. "So, what's going on?"

The brunette rolled her eyes by way of answer. "Not much. Come on, let's go get some shitty coffee and I'll fill you in."

* * *

As the sun was starting to break over the Upper East Side, Kathryn dragged herself across the threshold of her townhouse. She was exhausted, having spent the whole night with Sebastian at the hospital. All she wanted was a nice hot shower and twelve hours of sleep.

Too tired to even consider taking the stairs, she entered the elevator and slumped against the mahogany wall. As it made its slow climb to the second floor, Kathryn eyed her nails, cringing. Despite a vigorous scrubbing there were still remnants of Sebastian's blood under her fingernails. She released a shaky breath. _He's going to be fine_, she told herself. Shaking her head at her own stupidity, Kathryn remembered the image of Sebastian sitting up in his hospital bed, wearing that salacious grin of his, surrounded by fawning nurses. Of course, he'd be fine.

Getting off the elevator she made a bee line for her bedroom tossing her coat over the piano as she cut through the parlor. She stumbled momentarily when she noticed the two maids cleaning up the bloodstain on the carpet. Their bucket of water had turned pink from the blood.

"Oh, Miss Merteuil," one of them spoke. "There have been several calls—"

She held up her hand silencing them. "I don't care. I'm exhausted. It can wait till later."

"Very well miss."

Kathryn scowled at the stain. "Just throw the whole rug out. We'll replace it tomorrow."

Not waiting for an answer, she disappeared into her bedroom. It wasn't until the door was closed behind her that she noticed she wasn't alone. "Jesus," she called out in surprise. "I didn't see you there."

Annette smiled softly, getting off her bed. She was dressed for the day, pretty as always in a pale lavender dress and cardigan. Kathryn felt a twinge of envy knowing she looked like death. "I'm sorry," she laughed lightly, "I didn't mean to startle you…especially after last night."

She slipped her arms around her neck and kissed her briefly. Kathryn had the urge to sink down into her and bury her face in her neck. "It's fine, what are you doing here? I thought you went home."

"I did, but um, I wanted to talk to you."

Kathryn nuzzled against her neck and sighed. "I'm glad you're here. Hell of a night."

"Yeah I think it was just about as, _what the fuck_ as things get." Annette pulled away and Kathryn felt the absence. "How's your brother?"

"He's fine. He's resting comfortably, flirting with all the nurses, obnoxious as ever. He'll be fine," she repeated. Kathryn headed to her walk in closet and stripped off the cashmere pants and top.

"How did things go with Edward?"

"He and his lawyer are meeting with the Reynolds this morning. Sebastian thinks Edward will just try to settle things quietly. We're not to say anything to the press, they don't want any of this getting out. Fucker should be in jail."

Annette nodded, leaning against the doorway. Kathryn thought something was off with her. There she stood, in only her panties and Annette barely glanced at her. Something was going on.

"Is your mother coming back?"

"Supposedly." Kathryn slipped into her robe, recalling her brief conversation with her mother she had on the phone last night. She was more annoyed at cutting her trip short than Sebastian getting shot. Kathryn had been irritated enough to call her on it and before her mother could fire off a retort, she hung up on her. She was kind of hoping she'd stay away for the foreseeable future. "They are still holding tight on the military school thing though. As soon as he's recovered, they're shipping him off to Utah."

"You really don't want him to go, do you?"

Kathryn paused in her movements and glanced over at Annette. Her tone wasn't accusatory, more curious. She wondered if this was what was bothering her. It was true she didn't want him to go. As much of a pain in the ass as Sebastian was, she couldn't imagine him _not_ being there. It seemed almost comical given the amount of shit they put each other through these past months that she could feel bereft at his leaving, but she did.

Although she vowed to stop lying to Annette, she supposed a little white one couldn't hurt. "Actually, I'm starting to think it's for the best." Leaving the closet she removed her earring, placing them on the vanity. "Maybe it will keep him out of trouble and out of our hair of course."

Annette nodded, looking distracted. Kathryn slipped her arms around her, pulling her into a kiss. She hoped it would pull her out of whatever funk she was in. It didn't work. Annette kissed her back briefly before pulling out of her embrace. She didn't meet her eyes and Kathryn thought she saw a flash of guilt there.

"Is something wrong?"

She waited for her to deny it. Instead Annette shifted on her feet, looking nervous. Annette never looked nervous. "We have to talk."

Nothing ever good started with that statement. "Can it wait? I want to take a shower."

Annette shook her head. "No, it can't."

Kathryn observed her as she turned away and paced in front of her couch. She ran a hand through her hair, suddenly restless. "I don't know how to say this. Shit."

Watching her she was almost amused to see her flustered. "You sound like you're trying to break up with me," she joked.

Annette stopped and looked up at her. "I am."

For a brief moment Kathryn forgot how to breath. Then she realized she was joking. She had to be. Letting out a laugh she didn't feel she told her, "Right. Very funny. Look, I'm exhausted can we save it until—"

"Kathryn I'm serious. We have to break up."

"What?"

"Kathryn I—"

"What are you talking about?" she rushed at her, feeling as though the rug just got pulled out from underneath her. "You can't be breaking up with me after everything we've been though. I thought we were good? I thought you loved me?"

"I do, that's the problem." Annette sighed and explained, "I realized last night that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Last night, after Sebastian jumped in front of a fucking bullet for you, I was jealous because I didn't get to do it for you. I would give up anything, do anything, sacrifice all of myself just to make you happy and that _scares_ me. I don't think I can be that person."

Kathryn shook her head, trying to make sense of her words. "What are you talking about? I don't want you to sacrifice anything. I just want to be with you." Thinking over their conversation the past few minutes she asked, "Is this about Sebastian? About what happened last night between us?"

"No"

"Do you think I want to be with him or something? I don't! Jesus, we were drunk. All three of us, might I ad. It meant nothing. Besides, he's leaving in another week anyway!"

"It's not that—or at least it's not all of it. I still think you're incapable of ever truly letting him go, but if Sebastian was my only problem, I could deal with it."

"Then what is it?"

Annette took a seat on the couch. Shaking her head she looked upwards. "God, I can't believe I'm about to say this. _I don't trust myself around you_."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, if push comes to shove, I'll put you ahead of myself and I can't afford to do that right now. If all goes to plan, I'll be at Yale next year and then law school and then who knows. I have to concentrate on myself. I can't have all the drama that comes with being with you—"

"_The drama that comes with being with me_?" she echoed incredulously. "Are you listening to yourself right now? You sound like an asshole."

She sighed. "I'm aware."

Standing over her, arms crossed to her chest she tried to make sense of this but her exhausted brain wasn't having any of it. "I don't understand where this is coming from. The election is over. I'm not asking you to sacrifice any of your future for me."

"Not yet. What if we're both at Yale and I decide to run for student body president there and you want it too. Then what? Am I expected to drop out for you?"

"I would never ask you to do that!"

Annette laughed. "Baby, you just did."

"That was different! You suddenly decided you wanted it run."

"Yeah and then you demanded I drop out and when I didn't, you did everything you could to sabotage me."

"You weren't exactly innocent in any of that."

"Exactly! You and I are both manipulative and driven, we'll do anything to get our way."

"That's what makes us perfect together," Kathryn exclaimed, sitting down beside her. Cupping her face she tried to draw her back in, get her to listen. "Only we can understand and appreciate each other."

Annette took her hands and gently removed them. "Yeah, and only we can destroy each other and I can't afford to take that risk. I love you Kathryn, I always will but I have worked too hard to let anyone, including you, fuck it up for me."

Kathryn couldn't believe she was saying this to her. "You bitch." Her voice broke on the last word and she struggled to hold it together. "You promised you wouldn't leave me."

"You're going to hold me to something I said mid-orgasm?"

"I thought you were different, I thought you understood…but you're just like them aren't you?"

"Who?"

"Court, Sebastian, all the ones before them who left me because I was too ambitions, too sexual, too calculating."

"No! Kathryn that's not what this is." Annette grabbed her hand, her eyes soft. "I love all those things about you."

"Then don't go, stay," she pled. Jesus, Kathryn barely recognized herself right then. She never, ever pled for them to stay. She was always coolly indifferent, but now, she felt as if she would get on her knees and beg she was so desperate. "I won't stand it your way. I'll be supportive. I won't interfere, I won't make any kind of demands on you—"

"Then you wouldn't be you," Annette told her. "I don't want that Kathryn. I don't want you to ever have to sacrifice yourself for me or pretend to be something you're not. I never want you to be anyone but who you are. You're a ruthless, conniving, selfish bitch and to me you'll always be perfect."

Kathryn grabbed at her, her desperate hands clinging to her neck as she pulled her into a kiss. She was quickly rebuffed. Squirming against her, Annette ordered, "Kathryn stop." Meeting her gaze, she gave a brisk shake of her head then got to her feet. Somehow it felt like a bigger rejection than anything else she said to her that morning.

Her rage began to mix with her desperation, creating a potentially lethal mix. "If you leave me," she warned, "I'll destroy you I swear to god. It will make what I did to Court look like a hug."

Annette wasn't moved. "No, you won't."

"Oh?"

"All those boys you laid in your wake, you didn't care about them, not really. Your ego was bruised. What we had is different. You love me every inch as much as I love you and you know, deep down, that even though it hurts like hell now, it's the right thing to do."

"The hell I do."

"Kathryn, you don't think this is killing me? The idea of never kissing you again, never…" she trailed off as her voice began to break. She wiped angrily at a tear. "Walking away from you is the hardest thing I've ever had to do but I don't have a choice."

She could feel tears fill her eyes as she muttered quietly, "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Annette stepped forward and embraced her, holding her. Kathryn allowed herself to feel it only once. There was a part of her that dearly wanted to reveal in it, beg her to reconsider but she had humiliated herself enough already. Besides, it wouldn't matter anyway.

It was then her self-preservation kicked in. Breaking away from her abruptly, she turned her back and took a seat on the bed. Annette stood awkwardly, her brows knit in concern. "As lame as it sounds, I'd like us to still be friends."

Kathryn let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, I don't think so. You said it yourself, we were a lot of things but we were never friends."

"Kathryn I—"

"No, you're done. It's my turn now. You want to leave, fine. I won't come after you and I won't retaliate, but if this is the end of it, I want a clean break."

"Meaning?"

Kathryn tried to regain her haughty bitch exterior as best she could. "We'll make polite conversation in public, but in private you'll cease to exist for me, I'll change my number and you won't be dropping in unexpectedly. You'll destroy anything I ever gave you and I'll do the same. There will be no cliché retrieval of personal items, no lingering looks in the hallway at school. We'll erase everything. It will be like this whole thing never happened."

Annette shook her head. "That's not what I wanted."

Wiping angrily at her tears she snapped, "I think I'm done giving a rat's ass what you want. Do you agree or not?"

"Okay. If that's how you want it." Annette bit her lip, looking unsure. Looking at the ground she asked softly, "Are you going to be okay? You're not going to…do anything, right?"

Kathryn suspected she was thinking back on the whole mirror episode. Right then she felt as if she could put her whole head through one right now, but no, she wouldn't. She didn't have the energy. "I'll be fine," she replied icily. "Your concern for my well being is noted. Now get the hell out."

Annette turned away and headed to the door. Kathryn didn't watch her, staring out the window instead. She listened as the door opened and Annette lingered on the threshold. "I just…I love you. Always."

A moment later the door closed and she was gone. Only when she was sure she was gone from the premises did Kathryn succumb to her tears.


	31. The Heartbreak

**Chapter 30: The Heartbreak**

* * *

"Home sweet home." Sebastian collapsed face first into the plush Boca do Lobo sofa and sighed. It smelled vaguely like Chanel and fabric softener. After four days of enduring the stench of old people and disinfectant at the hospital, it was a welcome reprieve. There was only so much his aristocratic nose could be expected to endure.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable son," his father's booming voice echoed behind him. "You're still shipping out on Friday."

Rolling over he groaned dramatically. "What about my arm? Am I supposed to show up to boot camp in this thing?" He held up his injured arm housed in a black cotton sling. It didn't really hurt. Then again, he was currently rolling on enough Percocet to take down a horse. The beauty of prescription drugs.

"The doc said you should be good to go by the end of the week."

"And if I'm not?"

"Then I'd make sure to pack some icy hot and try to avoid getting shot on the first day."

Unamused, Sebastian sat up. "This is such bullshit," he spat petulantly. "You know most parents would actually show concern if their child was shot, not try to ship them out to some shit hole in Wyoming—"

"Utah"

"Like there's a difference."

His father was unmoved. "Well most parents haven't had to put up with the array of shit I have for the past eighteen years. Thanks to your latest stunt, I'm going to be up to my ears in civil suits for the next six months. Just be lucky nobody is pressing charges. Your poor stepmother is currently in hiding in Palm Springs."

"I take it 'Palm Springs' is code for face lift or is it vag rejuvenation time?"

"That's very cute. She's refusing to step one foot back in New York until you're gone."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Then what's the problem? I stay, she's gone. Everyone's happy. You should be thanking me." He slipped his sunglasses on and reclined back on the couch. "Maybe you should call that hospital administrator who was giving you the eye. The one with the high-end tit job."

"You don't think they were real?"

He gave him a side long look as if to say, _please_. "I would think _you_ of all people would know the difference between natural and manmade by now."

"Shit," he remarked, clearly disappointed. Shaking it off he slipped back into disciplinary mode. "You're going. Between you and your sister, your stepmother has been on the warpath for days now. She's starting to take it out on me and that I won't stand for. I need some peace and quiet."

"Then send me to go live with mom or something." His mother currently resided in California, a state he took great pains to visit as little as possible. But sunny LA and his flaky mother was a vast improvement over bum-fuck-wherever.

"For once your mother and I are in agreement. You're going."

Sebastian very much doubted his all-natural, health and wellness, crystal loving mother was down with sending him to military school. His father must have increased the alimony check. Realizing this argument was going nowhere, he pushed to his feet and waved a disinterested hand in his father's direction. "Fine. I'm going for a drive. Don't wait up."

His father snatched the car keys out of his hand. "Oh, I don't think so son. You are not to leave this house until you ship out on Friday."

Sebastian gapped at him in disgust. "You're grounding me?!"

"You're leaving me little choice. After what went down at the hospital, I clearly can't trust you to keep yourself out of trouble."

"Unbelievable"

"And another thing, you are to have absolutely no female visitors, is that understood? Little Sebastian is on lockdown as well."

Sebastian snatched his sunglasses off in alarm. "Oh, _come on_! You're sending me off to the sausage factory and you're not even giving me the luxury of a last meal?"

His father smirked. "Given the vast array of video footage that was on display at that assembly, I'd say you've had more than your fair share of the buffet for this lifetime. Several lifetimes actually."

"How exactly do you plan on enforcing this?" His father could barely be bothered to stay in the same country as him for a week, forget the same house.

"Oh, I plan on leaving that up to Sullivan." His father turned around, acknowledging his favorite henchman lingering in the back of the room. Sebastian hadn't even noticed him which was impressive given his 6-foot 2 size. Then again, he seemed to excel at blending into the background, no doubt a skill he acquired as a navy seal. About six years back Sullivan saved his father's life when some shit went down in Dubai during a business deal gone awry. Ever since then his father did little outside of take a piss without him. He was his personal assistant/bodyguard/who-knows-what. Also, he hated Sebastian on account of that time he walked in on him getting a blow job from his ex-fiancé.

"Fucking swell," Sebastian sighed, noting Sullivan didn't seem anymore enthused about playing babysitter than he was. He glowered at him from the shadows.

"This is it Sebastian, I mean it. You fuck up again and there's no coming home for Christmas break and I'm selling the jag."

Well that seals it. Knowing when he had been beat, he growled out a petulant, "Fine. I'm going to take a nap. Assuming that's still allowed?"

His father gave him a look as if to say, _of course_. Sebastian swung around and headed for his bedroom. "Let Mai-Lee know if you need anything. I'm heading to the office."

They both knew 'the office' was code for fucking his latest bimbo of the week. "Enjoy your fake tits dad!"

Sebastian had every intention of heading to his bedroom and sleeping for a week as the events from the past couple days were starting to catch up with him. However, upon passing his stepsisters room he paused. The bitch hadn't once come to visit him since that first initial night in the hospital. Sebastian had texted her a few times, but only got monosyllabic one work responses. It rankled. You take a bullet for someone they should at least have the curtesy to visit you in the hospital. Those were like the rules. Kathryn was probably too busy scissoring with Hargrove to remember.

Feeling suddenly irritable, Sebastian flounced over to her room and threw the door open without knocking. "Hey sis, where the hell have you…" He trailed off when he got a look at his sister curled up in her bed. "Oof, you look like shit."

For once he wasn't being dramatic. Wearing mis-matched flannel pajamas (where did she even get those?), her hair looked knotted and greasy and her face was splotchy and red. To top it off she had bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept in weeks. Sebastian had of course seen his dear sister looking worse for wear, usually when she was drugged out, but never this rough.

"Get out," she snarled at him, trying to sound imposing by landing on shrill.

"Um, no." Sebastian closed the door and swaggered over to her, his gaze taking in the mess around her. Left over dinner trays and used tissues were scattered about. The only drugs in the vicinity appeared to be some pill bottles idling on the ledge beside her bed. _Interesting_. Looking as wrecked as she did, he at least expected to find a big old pile of cocaine nearby or at least a couple of bottles of their finest scotch. Flopping down beside her Sebastian noted bluntly, "You look disgusting. And are you wearing flannel?"

"Fuck you," she tossed back with little bite. "What are you doing here anyway? You weren't supposed to be released until tomorrow."

"They booted me when they caught the night nurse giving me a handy. What's up, are you sick or something?" Sebastian had never actually seen Kathryn sick before. Last year when she got the flu, she locked herself in her bedroom and refused to let anyone other than Mai-Lee see her. Now he knew why.

"I'm fine. I just need some rest." She waved a hand at him dismissively. "Go away."

"You know when someone saves your life, it's common curtesy to show at least a smidge of gratitude."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Jesus, how long to plan on holding that over my head? I didn't ask you to jump in front of a bullet for me." Burying her face in her pillow she mumbled, "I'd rather wish you let it hit me right about now."

Sebastian frowned, not sure what to make of this despondent version of Kathryn. "Seriously, are you okay? And where's Hargrove?" He looked around the room as if expecting her to pop out from some dark corner, ready to call him an idiot. "I'd have figured she'd be dying to play nursemaid."

"We broke up," Kathryn replied flatly.

Sebastian did a near comedic double take. "Wait. _What_?"

"We ended it." There was no emotion on her face, but she wouldn't meet his eye.

"Why? I thought you two were true love forever and all that shit."

She shrugged. "It wasn't working. We're both so busy, getting ready for college and everything. The whole thing was getting too intense. We needed space."

Sebastian tried to reconcile these excuses with the last image he had of the girls, sitting in his hospital room, holding hands, unconcerned with anyone seeing and it didn't add up. She wasn't telling him something. "Is this about what happened the other night, before Court showed up? When we…?" _Nearly had that hot but ill-advised threesome_.

"No," she sighed. "That had nothing to do with it."

"I don't think Reynolds remembers anything and if he does, he's not opening his mouth."

"Good"

"So, what's the real reason then?"

"_That_ is the reason," she snapped irritably. "Now, will you go away you're giving me a migraine."

"Something's not adding up. I've seen you after a breakup. You're usually up to your tits in cocaine and dick, partying yourself into a coma. This is…not that. This is…" Sebastian trailed off when it finally hit him. The truth that was staring him in the face. "Wait, this wasn't mutual was it? She broke up with you."

"_No_," she hissed with barely concealed patients. "I told you, it was mutual."

"And I told you I'm not buying it. Look, speaking for experience, I've seen a heartbreak downward-spiral before and this," he waved a hand over her, "has all the classic signs. I mean I—"

"OKAY FINE, SHE DUMPED ME!" Kathryn shrieked. "You were right Nancy Drew. Happy? Now kindly FUCK OFF and leave me be."

Flopping back in bed she rolled over, dismissing him. Sebastian probably should have just given her, her space. But curiosity, along with genuine concern for her well being made him cut the asshole routine and try to be gentle with her. After the way he treated her the past couple of weeks, it was the least he could do. Laying down beside her Sebastian caressed her hair. "What happened?"

"What, you want all the gory details? She doesn't trust herself around me. She said she has to concentrate on her future and being with me gets in the way of that. She thinks I'll ruin her life."

"She said that?"

"More or less."

Sebastian remembered his conversation with Annette when they bonded over their mutual fear of being eaten alive by Kathryn. In a weird way he understood her reasoning. She got spooked so she ran. It didn't mean he sympathized with her at all. "She's a cunt."

"But she's not wrong." Kathryn smiled without humor. "Let's be honest Sebastian, I'm not exactly the easy choice."

_But you're the only choice. The only worthwhile one_. "Easy is overrated. I thought Hargrove had bigger balls than that."

"Apparently not"

"So, what now? Are you going to take the bitch down, or what?"

Kathryn looked up and him and shook her head. "No, not this time."

Kathryn Merteuil wasn't thirsting for revenge. This was serious. Sebastian wasn't sure how to proceed. Dolling out comfort and sympathy weren't really in his wheelhouse. Thinking back to how he felt when he got his heart stomped on, he could think of only one sure fire solution to feel better.

"Well, shit. You want to get drunk?"

Kathryn at last offered up a slight smile. "Yes please."

Sniffing her hair, he scowled. "Alright, but first, you need a shower."

* * *

"I'm fine Trevor"

"Okay"

Annette released an incredulous laugh as she set the jar of peanut butter she had been noshing on down. "What, you don't believe me?"

There was a brief pause as if her oldest friend in the world was trying to pick his words carefully. "You've been saying your 'fine' for two days now. I'm wondering if you actual believe it or if you just think I'm stupid enough to." There was another pause. "I'm worried about you Annie."

Flopping down on her couch Annette released a tired sigh. She was really regretting answering this phone call. The house was blessedly quiet as her father had been basically absent all weekend thanks to the assembly from hell. He had been doing damage control and likely would be for most of the week. They even cancelled classes for the next few days. It was a mess.

Annette however was not. Actually, she had been enjoying her quiet weekend, reading, catching up on homework, enjoying the occasional joint without the fear of her father sniffing it out. The truth was she hadn't felt this relaxed in a while. Aside from the occasional, prying phone call from her well meaning friends wanting to check up on her, she was having a nice weekend. You would never know she just broke up with someone she was wildly in love with not three days before.

"You know we can zoom and get day drunk if you want."

Annette laughed. "You'd do that for me?"

"Well I'm a _really_ good friend."

"Agreed, but I'm fine Trevor. Honest."

And here was the thing. She did feel fine. She didn't feel depressed or even sad. She didn't feel anything at all really. Which was concerning. She couldn't get her father's voice out of her head telling her there was something wrong with her.

"Maybe I didn't really love her after all," Annette murmured more to herself than to him.

"Maybe you're just numb."

"Or my father was right about me all along."

"Fuck him," Trevor spat with uncharacteristic hostility.

"No, hear me out." Annette sat up a little straighter in her seat. "If I really loved her as much as I thought I did, would I really be able to walk away from her as easily as I did? I mean Trevor, I was willing to risk my whole future and my goddamn reputation for her. I would have done _anything_ for her. I walked away from her. She'll probably never talk to me again, forget ever forgiving me. You would think that would make me feel something." She drew a deep death and admitted quietly. "I mean I haven't even cried. What kind of person, loses the person they love most in the world and then can't even muster a few tears?"

There was a long pause on his end. When he spoke, his voice was unrelentingly kind. "Let me ask you something Ann. Do you feel relieved? Does it feel like an albatross has been lifted from your neck? Are you happy?"

Annette considered this. "No, not really. I just feel calm, relaxed. Like I popped a Xanax of something."

"It sounds like you're in shock."

She scoffed at this. "What, like I have PTSD from my breakup with Kathryn? Come on Trevor…"

"I've heard of it happening"

"Yeah, or maybe your best friend is just emotionally dysfunctional and or dead inside."

"Your right it's probably that." He laughed and she smiled, happy to put the question of her disturbed psyche to rest for the moment. "So, you never did tell me, how did she take it?"

Annette's light mode vanished at the question as the last image she had of Kathryn flashed through her mind. Sitting on that sofa, small and steely, refusing to look at her. "Um, not great. She definitely didn't see it coming."

"Did she cry?"

She flashed back to Kathryn begging her to stay, her trembling lip and shaky hands as she gripped her wrist in desperation. She remembered them filling her eyes as she told her she hated her. "I don't recall," she lied.

"Well do you think she's plotting her revenge? She doesn't seem the type to take getting her heart broken gracefully."

That's the understatement of the decade, Annette thought wryly. Under normal circumstances she was sure she would most definitely have to watch her back but recalling their last words to each other and Kathryn's promising that she would no longer exist to her, Annette knew that wouldn't be a problem. What she had coming was much worse that Merteuil's wrath. Total and utter exile. Annette would have much preferred the former.

"No, I don't think I have anything to worry about." Frowning she remarked, "If anything I'm more concerned, she's going to hurt herself."

"You think she's suicidal?"

"No, no nothing like that. It's just, if there one thing I know about Kathryn, despite all her brazen over confidence, the person she's hardest on is herself." Annette pressed her face against the cool fabric of the couch, suddenly feeling exhausted, like she could sleep for days. "I just hope she's okay."

* * *

"I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

"You've been expecting my call?"

"In a matter of speaking." Sebastian got up and gently closed the bedroom door. Kathryn was currently napping in the other room and he didn't want to risk her over hearing any of what he was sure would be a tense call. "What can I do for you Hargrove?"

There was a deep intake of breath on her end, like she was gearing herself up for something. "How is she?"

Sebastian thought about being a brat by responding, '_who_?' but honestly, he didn't want to drag this phone call out any longer than necessary. Then again, he didn't want to make it too easy on her. "Do you honestly care?"

"Would I be wasting my time calling you if I didn't?"

"Touché. Well, since you're so interested, the truth is she's killing it. I've never seen her so happy. Apparently getting rid of you has done wonders for her. Then again it could be all the constant orgasms. You'll be happy to know I've basically been balls deep inside her all weekend."

"That's quite impressive given your bum shoulder and all," she replied dryly, clearly not buying his bullshit. "How is she, honestly?"

"How do you think?" he asked letting some of his anger peak through. "Without warning, the girl who claims to love her, dumps her for some asinine, bullshit reason. _I don't trust myself around you?_ I mean, what the fuck?"

"It's more complicated than that." She paused, when she spoke her tone was less defensive. "Do you remember what we talked about, that night in your room?"

Sebastian took a seat behind his desk, his gaze traveling to his bed. He recalled exchanging hushed, conspiratorial whispers with Hargrove about their mutual frustrations with Kathryn. It suddenly felt more like a betrayal than it ever had before. "You were worried she was going to eat you alive or something to that dramatic effect."

"Yeah, I mean I could feel it happening. Sebastian look at everything that's happened since we got together. I was in New York barely two months and I got kicked out of school, shipped back to Kansas and nearly lost out on Yale. Ever since we got together it's been one thing after another."

"Well you haven't exactly been an innocent bystander. Need I remind you what you did to me this summer?"

She sighed. "I'm well aware I'm not blameless in any of this. I know it wasn't all her and that's not the point. I love her Sebastian, I truly do. I would do anything for her, which is exactly the problem. I'm not selfless enough to devote myself so completely to another person. I can't sacrifice everything I want and need, all my ambitions, just because it might run counter to her desires. I can't let myself become completely absorbed by her." Annette cleared her throat. "You know your aunt said something to me a little while ago. At the time I just thought she was being a bitch, but now I think she might have had a point. She said, _relationships are difficult, they require sacrifice and compromise, two things Kathryn and I aren't equipped for at this time_. She's right. She's so fucking right."

Sebastian understood where she was coming from and what she said made a certain sense. Being with Kathryn was one of the best experiences of his life. The aftermath however was a painful, train wreck. He supposed he couldn't blame Hargrove for not wanting to put herself through that again. However, recalling the broken look on his stepsister's face when she told him about the breakup, he suddenly wasn't feeling terribly empathetic to her cause. "So, you chose the selfish option then?"

"Yep," she sighed. "I guess that makes me the asshole."

"In other news, water is wet." Sebastian picked up a paperweight on his desk and fiddled with it. He wondered in Hargrove honestly expected him to sympathize with her. "Why are you really calling me Annette?"

"Look, I know you don't owe me anything—"

Sebastian snorted. "You think?"

"I need a favor."

He let out a short laugh. "You have balls, I'll give you that."

"Look out for her, okay? I know you two get off on these fucked up games and you love torturing each other but, I need you to take care of her. Make sure she doesn't do anything overly self-destructive."

He didn't know why, but he was slightly caught off guard by the request. Not so much that Hargrove cared enough to ask this of him, but that she thought he was up for the job. He was already doing it of course, but that didn't mean he had to announce it to the blonde menace. Playing the part of the jaded asshole he scoffed, "As if Kathryn is some fragile babe in the woods in need of protection. I'm being shipped off to military school on account of that bitch. Why should I waste my last week in New York catering to her?"

"Because you love her," she replied bluntly.

Sebastian flinched at the accusation. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

She snorted. "Do I? Huh, that's weird, I could have sworn you were the guy who _jumped in front of a bullet for her_. You're not fooling anyone Sebastian."

"Yeah, neither are you." Despite everything she said, he knew without a shadow of a doubt, he hadn't seen the last of Annette Hargrove. You couldn't love Kathryn Merteuil and just walk away from it. He was living proof of that.

"You know I would have thought you'd be thrilled to have her all to yourself again."

She wasn't wrong. "You think you know me so well"

"I'm catching on."

* * *

They spent the next three days, lounging around the townhouse, in their best designer satin pajamas day drinking. At first Kathryn was genuinely annoyed at Sebastian's insistence that she clean herself up. She earned the right to be as disgusting as she pleased thank you very much. However, he was being uncharacteristically kind to her, so she did as he asked, and she refrained from pointing out how he dressed exclusively in vomit and novelty tees during his own downward spiral. In the end he's right. While she still feels like warmed over death, she at least feels a smidge more like herself.

Thanks to that shit show of an assembly, they got an additional couple of days off which Kathryn was eternally grateful for. She knew when the time came, she would have to show her face at school. There would be no calling in sick, no ill aunt she had to visit out of the country. There was no way she'd give Hargrove the satisfaction of thinking their break-up had even the slightest impact on her life. Her pride would demand nothing less.

At least now she had a little extra time to get her shit together and figure out a game plan. Until then she'd spend her time indulging in her depression and anger with a bottle of Macallan and Sebastian's weirdly comforting presence.

It was odd. She had gotten so used to being combative with him, she had nearly forgotten that there was a time when they were friends, when he was her only friend really. They could talk for hours or sit in complete silence and be totally at ease with one another. She had never had that with anyone. Not even Annette.

The whole sexual tension element of their relationship had been temporarily put on the back burner as well. Not once did Sebastian attempt to cop a feel or drop any lude innuendo. He didn't sneak a peek when she changed or offer to '_help her with the hard to reach spots'_ when she showered. Even when he woke up with morning wood (Kathryn had taken to falling asleep with him) there was no salacious comment or request that she help him out with it. Instead he ignored it, awkwardly shuffling around before disappearing into the bathroom. Of course, Kathryn never mentioned it either, but the question lingered in the back of her gin filled brain.

_Why aren't you trying to fuck me?_

The subject finally came to light three days into their mutual isolation thanks to her stepfather of all people.

They were in Sebastian's room, lounging on opposite ends of the bed. He was reading Chekhov while Kathryn spun elaborate (only slightly drunken) revenge fantasies against Annette they both knew she would never go through with.

Sebastian looked up from his book with a doubtful expression. "But where would you even find a longshoreman and a human sized crate on such short notice?"

Kathryn paused in her rant and shrugged. "I'm sure Blaine knows someone."

He opened his mouth to reply when the bedroom door suddenly flew open and Edward appeared. "Ah-ha!"

"Hey dad"

Clearly, expecting to find something salacious going on, her stepfather's face fell in comic disappointment at what he found. "Oh, ah, I thought I heard you in here with someone."

"Only me," Kathryn told me.

"Rest assured, Sullivan has been an excellent cock blocker," Sebastian drawled.

"Well, good." He looked back and forth between them. "Just so long as you're following the rules." He seemed to look at Kathryn with slight suspicion as he added, "_All the rules_."

"Yeah, I got it. Bye bye now"

With one last pointed look at them Edward made his exit. _How fucking weird_. Kathryn looked to Sebastian to find him smirking into his book. "What was all that about?"

"He's worried we're fucking."

"Why would he—oh god. I almost forgot about that." Somehow, she had nearly completely repressed the memory of her stepfather walking in on them that morning in the library. Suddenly that look he gave her made all kinds of sense.

"You don't think he told mother about that, do you?"

He scoffed. "I doubt it. I think he likes having his balls attached to his body." Looking up at her with a familiar glint in his eye, Sebastian set his book aside. "Though, it does bring up an interesting idea."

"Oh?"

"Well, I know when I'm feeling a little blue, there always one thing that makes me feel better."

Kathryn smiled knowingly back at him. "What pray tell would that be?"

"Fucking, of course," he told her with a salacious smirk.

She snorted into her glass of bourbon. "I was wondering why you hadn't brought that up yet."

He shrugged. "I was trying to be a gentleman."

"How perfectly boring." Kathryn stretched and affected a sigh. "I don't know. I really don't feel like going out."

"Who says you have to? There are plenty of options right here."

"Sullivan?"

When Sebastian scowled Kathryn allowed herself a small laugh. It was the first one she had in days. Sitting up she reached over and fiddled with the sling around his arm. "Last I checked you were incapacitated."

Taking hold of her hand, he traced his fingers over the top of her knuckles. "It's true I'm not at full strength but I can still be counted on to do some damage." As if to prove a point, he slowly drew his fingertips down her wrist eliciting a shiver from her. Kathryn met his dark stare and swallowed thickly. "I provide excellent lip service as well. You are particularly talented in that area as well in memory serves."

Kathryn cocked an unimpressed brow. "You think me giving _you_ a blow job will make _me_ feel better?"

Sebastian grinned impishly. "You never know until you try."

"You make an excellent point"

Holding her stepbrothers stare, Kathryn slowly crawled on her knees until she was hovering over him. With excruciating slowness, she ran her hands up his satin pajama pants until she got to the apex of his legs. Teasingly she ghosted a hand over the bulge of his crotch that was starting to stir to life. Sebastian tensed, breathing shallow all taunt like he could come by Kathryn's careless touch alone. She felt so goddam powerful. More powerful than she had in weeks. Leaning over him she applied a little more pressure against his groin, not quite gripping his cock, as her mouth drew closer to his parted lips. His tongue darted out to wet his mouth. By the time she reached for the top of his pajama bottoms he was openly panting. Kathryn leaned in and kissed him gently before pulling back. "On second thought. I think I'd much rather have a chocolate Sunday."

Kathryn hopped off the bed and fixed her pajamas, all the while doing her best to suppress the laughter that was threatening to erupt from her throat. "I'm going to the kitchen. Are you coming?"

Sebastian stared forlornly at his half-hard cock tenting his pants and pouted, "Apparently not."

* * *

When school resumed the following Wednesday, Annette braced for impact. She had been keeping her head down all weekend and had stayed off social media, so she wasn't exactly sure what she was walking into. When she arrived, what she found wasn't exactly what she had been expecting.

Everyone was eerily quiet. The halls usually filled with boisterous loud mouth boys and squealing, gigging girls was replaced with hushed whispers and silent stares. Kids gathered in small groups by the lockers and water fountains, shoulders hunched eyes wide and alert as if they were anticipating another shit storm to reign down on them. The whole school was like an open wound. Exposed and sore and more than a little on edge. Under normal circumstances Annette would have been mildly amused to see these rich brats look so humbled, but she was feeling anything but normal at the moment.

She was however grateful that nobody seems to be singling her out in any way. Unlike when Kathryn's little indiscretion was aired, there was nobody calling her a slut or graffitiing her locker. A cheerleader who was shown performing ass to mouth on video, looked up at her from across the hall with a meek, sympathetic smile of solidarity. Annette returned it while inwardly rolling her eyes. She didn't know if she could make it through a whole school year being viewed as one of Sebastian's many cast-off's.

Annette went through her daily routine more or less on autopilot. Shiv greeted her with a latte and slung a protective arm around her shoulder. She knew about the break-up of course, but she didn't ask her how she was doing. For this Annette was eternally grateful.

"So, there's a rumor going around that Court Reynolds shot Sebastian," she remarked as Annette fished out her civics book. "Got arrested and everything. Do you know anything about it?"

Annette kept her poker face perfectly in place. She didn't want any more drama. "I haven't heard anything about it."

"Come on, I know you were there that night."

She smiled wanly. "I plead the fifth your honor."

Court wasn't in school. Annette wondered how they managed to keep this all out of the papers. Privileges of the rich she supposed.

Shiv didn't press. "Well they gave her, her job back." There's no need to ask who she was referring to. "Surprise, surprise."

"Good. She deserves it." Annette sure as hell didn't want it anymore.

Siobhan clearly didn't agree, but she knew not to pick at Annette's own open wound.

The first couple classes went by without incident. Still, she could feel herself holding her breath. She hadn't seen Kathryn all day, but she knew she was there. Annette had heard her name on few peoples lips that morning. The general consensus seemed to be that she was just as much one of Sebastian's victims as the girls in the videos. Somehow it got around about Valmont being accused on setting the fire and distributing Kathryn's self-love tape. Apparently, nobody questioned the incestual implications of him showing a soft-core porn tape of his sister. In any event Annette was pleased. Knowing Kathryn's reputation had been at least somewhat restored made her feel a little less guilty. A little less like a pile of shit.

_See, you didn't completely ruin her life. She'll be fine. You'll be fine. Get over it. It's fucking high school._

Annette repeated her little pep talk throughout the day. It seemed to be working as she managed to get through filed hockey practice without thinking about her. Which was of course when she finally saw her.

She was at her locker, talking about her Yale admissions essay with Sophie, when she looked up and there she was, walking down the hallway like it was her personal runway, flanked by a couple of her minions. Kathryn was perfectly poised as ever, not a hair out of place or a wrinkle to be found as she moved with her typical elegance, offering up an occasional serene smile to the commoners. As she approached, Annette held her breath, waiting for what she couldn't be sure. Anger, awkwardness, distress. Something. It never came.

Kathryn's eyes passed over her as if she isn't there. As if she was never there at all. She never broke stride once. It felt like a gut punch.

"_There will be no cliché retrieval of personal items, no lingering looks in the hallway at school. We'll erase everything. It will be like this whole thing never happened."_

Why did she not believe her? Did she honestly expect anything less? Of course she would move forward and not look back. They were the same in that way. Self-preservation at all costs.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Sophie was staring at her with concern. It took a moment for the question to register. Annette forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." Looking down the hall at Kathryn's retreating back she asked, "Want to get lunch?"

* * *

Kathryn couldn't find her cross. She suspected Sebastian had it stashed somewhere. Her darling brother was trying to play protector. How quaint. How terribly, utterly, _annoying_.

It didn't matter. She'd find plenty more goodies where she was heading. She already had a bump from her emergency stash. While it gave her that initial energy boost, she was still feeling on edge, restless. Kathryn wanted another line but didn't want to risk a nosebleed this early in the evening.

She was tarring around her room in her Eres bra and panties, looking for her cross, despite knowing it was likely hiding somewhere across the hall. Kathryn was on the floor on her hands and knees searching, with her barely covered ass up in the air when her brother decided to make his entrance. "Well, apparently I arrived just in time for the floor show. Evening sis," he greeted her, voice warmly amused.

Kathryn rolled her eye and looked at him over her shoulder. "Have you seen my cross?"

"Can't say I have," he remarked, blatantly ogling her ass.

She knew he was lying, but she wasn't in the mood to go ten rounds about it, so she let it be for the moment. Instead, she headed to her closet to find the perfect outfit for the night, ignoring her stepbrother's curious stare. _Read the room, darling brother, I'm in no mood for your familial concern tonight_.

Sebastian followed after. "I haven't seen you all day."

"Well, some of us still have to attend school," she bitchily replied, shoving through racks of designer clothes.

"Well some of us don't have a choice. How was it?"

School was the reason she needed a night out despite it being a Wednesday. Just as she had anticipated, it was a total fucking nightmare. She spent half of the day making bullshit apologies on behalf of her stupid brother (which yes, she was partially to blame for, but whatever) and the other half dodging rumors about what went down with Court. Luckily, her PR game was still on point and nobody stopped to question any of the many lies she spun that day. After nine hours of that she was in desperate need of a stiff drink. And a stiff dick.

Not wanting to get into all the gory details with him she merely replied, "It was fine. They reappointed me student body president. Something about the last candidate being unfit for the job."

He rolled his eyes, as he flopped down on to the white settee in her walk in. Fiddling with the sash of his robe he drawled, "Is everyone still in a tizzy about little old me?"

"Of course. You'll be happy to know, you were on more mouth's than that summer we vacationed on the Amalfi Coast. It will be a miracle if you're ever allowed to show your face in polite society again."

"So, what, you think I'll be good by Christmas?"

"Probably"

Sebastian grinned impishly. "Good. I'd hate to miss Aunties annual Christmas gala. I fucked that Czech supermodel last year."

"Oh, what it must be like to be you." Kathryn rolled her eyes at him. The reminder of how easy it was for him to bounce back from things rankled her all the more. She grabbed a tight black mesh Herve Leger dress and put it on.

"So, did you see her?"

Kathryn was grateful her back was to him at that moment so he couldn't see her flinch. She waited a beat before replying, assured that her tone would be even and devoid of emotion. "Yes," she replied. Not that she hadn't tried her damnedest to avoid her, but it felt as if she was around every corner she turned, watching her, studying her with those clever, insightful eyes. Why the hell couldn't she just do as she was told and just pretend not to see her like Kathryn was doing? She supposed she should just be grateful she hadn't tried to talk to her.

Kathryn busied herself at her mirror, trying on different shoes. She tried to ignore her stepbrother's reflection in the mirror, watching her, not unlike Annette did earlier. He wanted more and she was in no mood for this fucking conversation.

Of course, Sebastian refused to take the hint. "Did you talk to her?"

She scoffed. "Of course not."

"I just thought—"

"What, did you expect me to write her some pathetic letter, begging for her to take me back? Unlike you brother dear, I don't feel the need to lower myself by acting like a complete fucking loser."

Sebastian's flinched at the harsh rebuke. Almost immediately Kathryn regretted it. She never used to feel guilty when she said cruel things to him, but one look at his sad, broody face and something unpleasant twisted her stomach.

"But you don't seem to have a problem acting like a completely fucking bitch," he tossed back, with little bite.

"Never have, never will," she replied with a lightness she wasn't feeling.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked as if just realizing now that she was changing.

"Yep. I need a night away from this place." _And your ever present concern_.

Grabbing a leather clutch she brushed past him on her way out of the closet. Sebastian followed after. "Give me a minute to get dressed and I'll go with you."

"You can't remember? You're grounded," she taunted with a mocking grin.

Sebastian, unbothered, shrugged. "I'll sneak out. The old man will never know."

"I don't think so." Walking to the door she opened it and called out, "Sullivan!"

He came up behind her and closed the door before the burly bodyguard could be summoned. Leveling a dark look at her he remarked, "So it's like that, is it?"

"It's like that." She shrugged. "It's nothing personal. I just need a break from everything and everyone. I'm starting to feel suffocated. You know how it is. Don't wait up."

She opened the door only for him to slam it closed once again. He leaned in close to her. "Don't go," he said, voice almost pleading. "Stay…we'll order out from Naruto and watch old movies. I'll let you pick this time."

For the smallest second she was tempted, but then that voice in the back of her head, the one who urged her to scratch that itch, to burn it all down, quickly reminded her who she was—a total fucking bitch. Kathryn laughed meanly. "God, could you be more pathetic?"

"Kathryn—"

"You're so goddamn transparent. You honestly expect me to buy this phony concern. Please Valmont, I know you. Don't pretend for one minute this isn't about getting your dick serviced."

He drew back from her and shook his head, with a sardonic grin he sneered, "You know me too well sis."

"I do. Now what have you done with my cross?"

"I told you, I haven't seen it." His face gave nothing away, but he shifted just slightly back from her as if not wanting her to get too close.

Kathryn shook her head at him, then slid up close pressing herself against him. "Oh Sebastian," she cooed, nuzzling his nose, "You're so terribly…" she reached into the pocket of his pajama pants "…terribly…" she smiled as she pulled out her beloved necklace, "…predictable."

"I emptied it"

"And I'll refill it." Kathryn opened the door and this time met no resistance. She blew him a kiss before exiting. "Don't wait up!"

* * *

"Donnelly, I need a favor." When he was greeted with a long, tentative pause he impatiently rolled his eyes before clarifying, "It's Valmont."

"Sebastian, how did you get my number?"

Of course, _that_ was what would concern wonder bread. "Never mind that. Look, I need you to go pick up Kathryn."

"Pick her up? Pick her up from where?"

"I'm not entirely sure."

He sighed as if he was the one trying _his_ patients. "Okay, well why can't you pick her up yourself?"

"I'm a bit…incapacitated at the moment. Look, Captain America, you like her right? Well this is your chance to play hero. Don't guys like you have a hard on for that kind of thing?"

"Sebastian what's going on?"

Realizing he was getting nowhere with his usual charm tactics he broke it down. "She's not doing great…with everything. She went out in her best slut dress to blow off some steam. I just want to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was call you but given recent events, I'm not allowed to leave the house." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. Christ, being honest was annoying. "Can you please go find her?"

"Yeah of course. Do you know any places she might have gone to give me a starting point?"

Sebastian listed off a couple clubs and Jack promised he'd track her down. Hanging up the phone, he told himself for the hundredth time that night that he was a fucking chump for getting involved in any of this. All week, he had been nothing but the consummate gentleman, taking care of her, putting up with her shit, and where does it get him? Kicked in the figurative balls once again. After the way she behaved towards him that evening, he should have just washed his hands of her. She wants to act like a bi-polar headcase and fuck all of Manhattan? Who was he to stand in her way? _Good-luck sweetheart, don't call me in the morning._

However, he couldn't get that pathetic image of her crowded in her bed all disgusting like out of his head. He knew Hargrove broke something in her when she left her like that and despite her bitch-monster tendencies, he recognized her behavior was coming from a place of pain. She didn't know how to handle it, so she was just going to try to numb herself with drugs or sex or cruelty. He knew all too well it wouldn't work. She'd just end up hurting herself more. Sebastian told himself he was just trying to limit the fall out, but even he wasn't delusional enough to buy that.

At least he wasn't stupid enough to call in love like Hargrove and Donnelly. So, there's that.

He spent the next few hours trying to get lost in Dickens, while checking his phone every ten minutes to no avail. He told himself he'd give it another thirty minutes and then he was going to bed. He did his part. Jack could handle the rest.

An hour later, he was barely a quarter in Great Expectations, when he heard a commotion down the hall. Sebastian sat up. A moment later a slurry, sultry Kathryn called out, "OOOHHH SEBASTIIIAANNN!"

He had never been so thrilled to hear that familiar call. Still, he had some pride left. He refused to come out just because she beckoned. He'd wait until she inevitably made her entrance.

A long moment passed and she called out again. Only this time she was just more belligerent. "Sebastian! Get your ass out here and come FUCK ME!"

_Jesus Christ_. Well, if the staff wasn't clued in about his super dysfunctional relationship with his stepsister, they were now. Sebastian leapt from the bed and tore down the hall, to silence her before she ran her mouth any further. He found her in the parlor, teetering in her six inch Louboutin's while Sullivan tried to contain her roving hands. This was going to be fun.

When she saw him, her face broke into a sultry, drunken grin. "Here he is, the prince of pussy himself. Hello brother dearest."

"Kathryn, have fun? Where's Donnelly?"

"He's in the cab, icing his balls." Forgetting about Sullivan for the moment, she latched on to him instead, letting her hands roam freely about his chest. "The dumb fuck told every bartender and bouncer that I was underage so they wouldn't serve me."

"The nerve"

She giggled, clearly high on something. "He learned his lesson. He won't be walking right for at least a week. You sent him after me, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar, liar pants on fire. Well you can make it up to be by taking me back to your room and fucking my brains out." She snaked a hand into his robe and grabbed at his cock. "I want you to tie me up then I want you to stick this in my ass."

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_. Sebastian chanced a glance at Sullivan to find his eyebrows had shot up at the remark. He wondered if he really hadn't known about them or if it was just his sister's vulgar language and her sordid fetishes that surprised him.

Grabbing at her roaming hands he told her with more patients then he felt, "Kathryn let's go clean you up."

"Come on," she purred, rubbing up against him like a horny kitten. "You'll love it. I know Sullivan certainly did when I let him have the privilege."

Sebastian shot the older man a look. For the first time in the ten years he'd known him, he appeared uneasy. He could guess why. It probably wouldn't look too good if he got caught fucking his bosses underage daughter.

Tucking that incriminating piece of intel away for later he remarked pointedly, "I'm sure he did." Tugging Kathryn away he told her, "Let's go sober you up."

Kathryn, not paying attention to a word he said, tried to take off his clothes as he led her back to his bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, she started removing her dress. Sebastian tried to put a stop to it, tugging her dress straps back up. "We're not doing this."

She sputtered out a little laugh, "Says you."

Kathryn grabbed him by the back of the neck and lunged at his mouth. She kissed him all hungry and sloppy. It took more than a little force to pull her off. "Stop it," he ordered. Then he stupidly tutted out a little laugh. "You're being ridiculous."

Something flashed in her eyes for a moment and suddenly she didn't appear as drunk as before. "What's ridiculous dear brother is you."

He flinched, recalling those words with a weird sort of precision. Christ, they were even standing in the exact same spot as last time. No matter what they did, they seemed to be constantly reliving the same scenes. It was like Fucking Groundhog Day for assholes.

"You're trashed," Sebastian sighed, stating the obvious.

"So what," Kathryn exclaimed. "That didn't seem to bother you before. I was a mess the last time we hooked up, but you didn't have any trouble getting it up so don't give me that shit, like you're suddenly all noble and well intentioned. Crock of shit."

Sebastian winced recalling the last time they were together. "I'm sorry about that, I never should have—"

"Fuck your sorry's, _let's go_."

She was on him again, all eager hands, one grabbing him around the neck while the other attempted to fish out his uninterested dick. Sebastian grabbed at her wrists, trying to fend her off without hurting her. "Kathryn, stop," he ordered her calmly. He managed to dislodge her hand around his dick without any permanent damage. Grasping her wrists, he held them tightly to his own chest as she struggled against him. "This isn't going to help anything. It will just make you feel worse in the morning."

"Spare me you the life lessons Oprah. Let go!"

They struggled for a moment, Kathryn cursing, flailing about trying to get free, Sebastian held on refusing to let go. If that wasn't a metaphor for their fucking relationship, he didn't know what was. Gravity eventually won out, with them slipping to their knees. He used the opportunity to grab her around the waist pulling her in tightly. "Calm down," he whispered harshly into her hair.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let…me…" she trailed off, her voice breaking into incoherent mumbles. It took him longer than it should have to realize she was crying. Actually, to be more accurate she was sobbing. Sebastian went stock still. In all the years he'd known her, Sebastian had never actually _seen_ her cry. For a while, he never even thought it possible. He was a fucking moron.

"I hate this," she cried, face pressed to his chest. "It fucking hurts."

"I know," he murmured, chin pressed to her head.

"I hate her for doing this to me."

_You won't always_, he thought, but he knew better than to say as much.

Sebastian let her cry until she got it all out of her system. When her tears ceased, she remained prone against his chest. For a moment he feared she passed out, but then she pulled back. Rubbing her face, not meeting his eyes, she murmured, "Sorry."

He shook his head, silencing her apology as he helped her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

He took her to the bathroom where he gently cleaned her make-up off and then helped her into one of his night shirts. She must have still been a little out of it, as she barely said a word, just stared into space as he took care of her. Sebastian tucked her into his bed and crawled in next to her, picking up his forgotten book as he waited for her to fall asleep.

"Sebastian?" she called out rolling over.

"Hmm?"

"Is this how you felt, after what Annette and I did to you?"

He looked back at her genuinely caught off guard, which after the night he had was quite the accomplishment. He considered making some kind of quip, but instead just nodded.

Looking up at him from underneath the covers, her freshly scrubbed face making her appear younger than normal, she whispered, "I'm sorry I did that to you."

He shrugged. "Forget it, it's done with."

She had never apologized for anything before. Ever. Sebastian swallowed thickly. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with any of this. It was so much easier when they could just hate each other.

* * *

Annette was running late that morning. The days of sleepless nights finally caught up with her and she slept through her alarm. If it hadn't been for the gardeners annoying weed whacking in the backyard, she likely would have slept till noon. Thankfully, her father was already up and gone by the time she got downstairs. She didn't have time for breakfast, so she grabbed a pop tart, filled her coffee tumbler and stumbled out the door. She was so distracted trying to get her physics book in her bag and not drop everything and that she didn't notice there was someone in her driveway until he called out for her.

"Hey beautiful, do you know where a guy can get a decent cup of coffee around here? Or a blow job?"

It was Trevor. Annette was so shocked she dropped everything save for the pop tart lodged in her mouth. She blinked, several times as if not quite believing her eyes. Which was idiotic. It was totally like Trevor Abbott to just show up on her doorstep with no warning.

Ignoring her dropped items, she took off in a sprint across the lawn and leapt into arms. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?!"

He lifted her up, hugging her with his familiar exuberance while at the same time fishing out some cash to pay the Uber driver waiting patiently by the Ford Focus. "What do you mean? Since when do I need an excuse to see my best girl?" He asked it as if he was just visiting from down the block and not clear across the Atlantic.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have met you at the airport."

"I wanted it to be a surprise, sugar."

Annette pressed her face into his warm chest and breathed in his familiar scent. She was suddenly filled with the bizarre urge to cry. "I'm so happy to see you," she sighed.

"Me too." He gave her another tight squeeze then stepped back to examine her. "Let me take a look. Well, the good news is you look no worse for wear. Aside from the hideous uniform and…are you wearing a headband?"

She shoved him playfully. "Shut up idiot. What are you really doing here?"

Hands in his leather coat he shrugged. "Don't know, thought you could use your best friend to kick around."

"I'm fine"

He smiled ruefully at her, shaking his head. "Sweetheart, you might be able to snow these fucked-up rich kids, but you know that shit doesn't fly with me."

He wasn't wrong of course. She never could lie to him, not well at least. Annette sighed. "I'm…dealing. One day at a time and all that crap."

"Uh-huh. Self-medicating?"

She thought of that bottle of whiskey hidden under her mattress and the weed in her jewelry box and shrugged. "A little bit. Nothing too interesting." Reaching out she affectionately rubbed the stubble on his handsome face. "So, how long are you staying?"

He shrugged again, forever unbothered. "I dunno, maybe a week. You think Headmaster Hardass with care if I crash here a few days?"

"Probably, but who cares." Her father hated Trevor but had long ago accepted him as a necessary evil.

He slung an arm around her shoulder and led her back to the house. "So, what are you up to today?"

"I know it's been a whole whopping three months since you've been in high school, but we're still required to attend on a work week."

"How tragic."

"You want me to show you around campus?"

Trevor looked out towards the brick buildings in the distance and frowned. "Hard pass. Unlike you sweetness, I've never had a hard on for higher education. I got an idea. How about you Ferris Bueller it, and you show me around this city of yours."

Annette's first instinct was to say no. She had midterm prep, a debate against Spence and a test in western civ. This was definitely not the time to ditch. However, the prospect of possibly running into Kathryn again made it nearly impossible to resist.

"Fuck it. Let's go."

* * *

Annette wasn't at school on Friday. Kathryn did a drive-by of her homeroom, letting her gaze do a brief cursory sweep, before landing on her empty chair. Something deflated in her chest and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She had one of her underlings discreetly look into it in the admissions office and discovered Annette called in sick. Kathryn was deeply annoyed.

In consumed her thoughts and distracted her all day, which in turn pissed her off. She was doing exactly what she promised herself she wouldn't—obsessing about her ex, like all her loser friends do when they get dumped. How terribly common.

To add insult to injury, it completely sidetracked her and she nearly forgot that it was Sebastian's last day in New York. He was supposed to be shipping out later that afternoon and Kathryn had intended on cutting out early so she could see him off.

The prospect of not seeing him after today suddenly made her heartbreak over Annette seem like a dim memory. He had been so great to her over the past week, keeping her distracted with liquor and movies and carbohydrates he refused to let her get rid of. Even when she was a total bitch to him, he still took care of her. At first, she suspected he might be up to something, possibly planning some revenge for getting him sent to Military school. But after the incident the other night when he was so gentle and good to her after she because a totally cliched basket case, she realized he was on the level. Kathryn might be a little off her game at the moment, but Sebastian wasn't _that_ good an actor. It was quite possible, for the first time in their twisted relationship there was no hidden agendas at play. They were finally being real. Normal.

Well, as normal as two stepsiblings who like to fuck _could_ be.

Kathryn even attempted to plead his case with her mother the day before. That had been an obvious waste of time. She called her mother in Palm Springs (or wherever she was hiding out) and tried to explain that sending Sebastian away would only hurt the family's reputation in the long run. She spun some bullshit about how it looked like they were admitting culpability by sending him away, when really those girls were just as much to blame. She even suggested they try to pin the whole thing on Court somehow, but her mother only laughed. _He must have something really good on you, to make you try to spin that horseshit_. As always, her mother was completely useless.

She considered going to Aunt Helen to ask for a favor, but she guessed she would only insist it was necessary to protect the family name. The worst part of all of this was it was all her fault this was happening in the first place. If she hadn't been so consumed with making him pay none of this would be happening

Kathryn decided that if she couldn't keep Sebastian in New York, the least she could do was give him a memorable send off. In order to pull it off however she was going to need a favor. Luckily, her proclivity for messing around with older men looked like it was finally going to pay off.

"Nicholas?" she chirped into her cell in her best debutante purr. "It's Kathryn Merteuil."

"What can I do for you Ms. Merteuil?" the gruff pilot greeted her, all business like.

"I understand you're flying my brother to Utah this afternoon."

"Yes ma'am. We should be wheels up in a couple hours."

"Well I think there's going to be a change of plans. I need you to tell my stepfather that there's something wrong with the plane and you can't take off till tomorrow morning."

Her request was met with a long pause, followed by an uncomfortable cough. "Uh, I don't think I can just—"

"Oh but you can Nick," she assured him, her tone never losing its seductive lilt even when it took on a more sinister edge. "Unless of course you'd like me to tell your wife how you spent last Easter, balls deep in my underage twat. Are you getting the picture?"

"I think I am. What would you like me to tell him Miss?"

"You're a smart man Nick, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Right. I'll take care of it, Ms. Merteuil."

"Thanks, I knew I could count on you."

* * *

The bitch was going to blow him off.

Sebastian tried not to be disappointed by this. The more practical, generous side of himself tried to remember that she had a lot going at the moment, what with the Annette of it all. It was quite possible she forgot or got hung up at school. The more petty, more cynical part of him (admittedly the more dominate aspect) was annoyed that she couldn't for once show a little more consideration towards him. After everything they went through this week (hell the last couple months) he would have thought he at least deserved a proper goodbye. Apparently, his stepsister disagreed. He had kind of hoped she would have blown school off today, but when he half-heartedly suggested it, she coldly informed him she wouldn't give Annette the satisfaction. No matter what, it always seemed to come back to that bitch.

With his plane set to take off in less than an hour, Sebastian was dragging his feet packing up last minute things. Looking around his beloved bedroom, it was depressing to think he wouldn't be there for months. He was going to miss it dearly. He was going to miss a lot of things actually.

"All packed?"

Sebastian looked up from his carry-on Marc Jacobs to find Kathryn lingering in the doorway still dressed in her school uniform. "Just about." Not wanting to give away how pleased he was she showed up, he instead joked, "Hey, you think if I stash a knife in my bag, they'd throw me in juvie? I've been scanning through Braxton Hill's brochure and I think it might be preferable."

"I wouldn't risk it." Kathryn stepped further into the room, her mouth twisted in a wry smile. "You're far too pretty for juvie."

"You have a point."

"How's the arm?"

Sebastian spared a brief glance at his arm, still bandaged but hidden under his cashmere sweater. "It's fine, unfortunately. It's a shame Reynolds didn't hit something more vital. I might have been able to put this off another couple weeks."

Kathryn's smile fell, a crease formed between her brows. "That's not funny."

He was taken aback by her sudden shift in mood, watching as she took a seat on his bed, shoulders straight and tense, legs folded crossed at the ankles. Looking away from her, he pretended to busy himself with something at his desk. "You've come to see me off?"

"Well I thought someone from the family should. I take it Edward's nowhere to be found."

"He sent an apology text, he got caught up in a meeting."

"I take it that's code from breaking in another executive assistant?"

"Probably"

They shared a knowing grin. Sebastian was struck by how much he was going to miss her. "So, will you survive without me?"

"I'll manage"

"I mean…" he hesitated, knowing how bad they both were with his honestly/empathy crap. "Are you okay?"

Kathryn looked down at her hands and replied quietly, "No, but I will be, eventually. You don't have to worry. I'm not going to OD in the bathroom or anything pathetic like that."

"It never crossed my mind," he lied.

Rising up from the bed, she smoothed down her the imaginary wrinkles in her tartan skirt. "Well, you ended up shot and I wound up dumped. That's karma for you."

Sebastian swung his bag onto his shoulder as he headed for the door. "Karma can suck my dick."

"Why not? Everyone else has."

He paused and looked back at her with a sly grin that she returned as she followed him out. Tossing his bag alongside the other's stacked in front of the baby grand, he turned back to her, letting his arms flop dramatically at his sides. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "You're going off to boarding school, not war idiot."

"It's Military school," he corrected, pouting. "And it might as well be."

She laughed, not all together meanly, as she stepped to him, running her hands down the lapels of his jacket. Eying her only half-sincere he asked, "Will you miss me?"

"I suppose. Whomever will I torture in your place?"

An image of Jack Donnelley flashed in his mind, looking longingly at his stepsister. Sebastian silently ground his teeth. He could barely handle her and Hargrove together. He didn't want to have to contend with that asshole too.

"I'm sure you'll find someone," he told her stiffly. "You usually do."

She didn't seem to catch the sharpness in his tone or else she was ignoring it. Looking up at him through her lashes she remarked thoughtfully, "It's always you and me in the end, isn't it?"

Suddenly he found it difficult to swallow. "Seems that way."

"I guess that's not the worst thing in the world."

Her hand slipped around his neck and she drew him forward into a kiss. It was slow and languid, almost as if they were trying to savor it, like they knew it might be the last one. It was Kathryn who pulled away first, but just her mouth, her arms remained tightly around his neck holding him close.

"Come to the airport with me."

She laughed, nuzzled his nose. "So we can have a tearful goodbye at the gate," she mocked. "How horribly idiotic."

"We could hop another plane. It would be at least a week before they noticed we were missing," he told her only half kidding.

Kathryn humored him. "And where would we go?"

"Venice."

Her eyes widened briefly. "Been giving this some thought, have you?"

He had. It had been a long week. "Maybe. You hate the beach. Paris is too cliché. Venice is just cliché enough. Ever fuck in a gondola?"

She laughed. "Can't say I have. Perhaps you can take me on spring break."

He leaned in a kissed her again in lieu of an answer. It was a little more urgent this time. It was all slipping away. "I'll miss you," he admitted in a rush against her lips.

He felt her smile and start to say something when they heard approaching footsteps. Immediately they stepped apart, Sebastian licked the taste of her from his mouth. It was Sullivan, his expression as always devoid of any emotion. "The pilot just called. Apparently, there's some kind of problem with the engine. Your flight is delayed until tomorrow morning. He'll call with more details later tonight. Your father said to tell you that the same rules apply—no leaving the house."

For once that was a rule he was more than happy not to break. "Thanks Sullivan."

Sebastian could hardly believe his luck. He waited until he had left the room before swinging back to face his stepsister. "Well it looks like I got a temporary reprieve." Tapping a finger against his lips he pretended to ponder, "Whatever will I do in the meantime?"

Eyes flashing with wicked intentions, Kathryn grabbed a fistful of his shirt and dragged him back to his bedroom. "I have a few ideas…"

Sebastian allowed himself to be tugged, an idiotic smile spread across his face as they disappeared into the bedroom. As soon as he closed the door behind them, she was on him, pulling him by the back of the head into a heated kiss. Unlike the night before, there was nothing overly aggressive or sloppy about it, like she was trying to prove something. Forgetting for a moment, his vow to not take advantage of her heartbroken state, Sebastian allowed himself to kiss her back, his lips parting against hers, his head tilting to deepen the kiss. Her fingers slid through his hair and _tugged_ sending a jolt of pleasure to his dick. _Fuck_ he should not be this turned on by a damn kiss.

Kathryn slipped her other hand up his shirt, letting her manicured nails drag against the heated flesh of his skin. Sebastian groaned, realizing he had to put a stop to this as they were dangling too close to the edge of no return. Grasping his stepsister by the face, he pulled back to examine her. He searched her expression looking for any kind of indication that this wasn't what she wanted. For the first time all week he saw no lingering traces of sadness peaking out along the edges. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright and horny. She wanted this, she wanted him and yet he couldn't shake some lingering thought that this was wrong, that he was taking advantage—

_Oh, to hell with it_.

He was sick of doing the right thing. The right thing was _boring_. Let the Jack Donnelley's of the world stew in their righteousness and good intentions. Sebastian just wanted to fuck.

Still clutching her face, he pulled her back into kiss, this time he took the lead, letting her know exactly where this was going. For a brief moment he panicked Kathryn might pull back, let out husky bark of laughter at his expense, before sashaying out of the room. A year ago that's exactly what she would have done, hell a week ago even. But something had shifted between them this past week, into what he couldn't be sure, but they weren't the same. There would be no pulling away this time.

They stumbled back to the bed, all eager lips and groping hands. Sebastian lifted her and tossed her onto it with little thought to his injured arm. He had a feeling it would be plenty sore after tonight, but whatever it would be worth it.

Kathryn laughed, running a hand through her hair and then began making quick work of her clothes, tearing off her cardigan, followed by her white button up. Sebastian followed suit, discarding his jacket and sweater. Their eyes met, and they smiled, flushed and giddy with excitement. Before she could get her underwear off, he tugged her back into a wanton kiss, making her moan. Sebastian reached between them, pulling her tits out of her bra and letting them sit on top. He flicked his tongue over her lips as his thumbs rubbed teasing circles over her hard little nipples. Kathryn whimpered Then she did something that just about made him cum in his pants like a ninth grader. She reached down and began to wantonly rub her pussy through her panties. Sebastian stepped back to observe her. "Let me see," he murmured.

She arched a brow, but did as requested, sitting back more and spreading her legs lewdly. She palmed her cunt, while two fingers rubbed at her clit. "You better not pull out your fucking camera this time," she threatened.

"No need, I'll definitely remember this."

He wasn't kidding. This was so much better than a grainy video and half-forgotten frolic in a taxi. In the light of day and sober it was a complete revelation to watch Kathryn take her pleasure like this. As much as this was a show for him, there was no doubt she was very much getting off on it. Her hips ground down against the mattress as she worked herself over. Watching her Sebastian absently reached for his dick and stroked. Kathryn's glazed eyes met him. "Take it out," she ordered, voice husky with want.

Sebastian didn't have to be told twice. He unfastened his pants, let them fall to the floor along with his underwear while his hand gripped his hard on. He groaned as he slowly began to jerk himself off, pre-cum drooling from the tip. Kathryn's gaze locked into it as her hand began to speed up. "Harder," she ordered him. "Fuck it, like you're going to fuck me."

_You asked for it sweetheart._

Sebastian began to let it rip, jerking himself almost violently as he watched her fuck her hand in earnest. He waited with anticipation to see which one of them would cum first.

_Come on baby, let me see you let go._

Before either one of them could pass the finish line so to speak, Kathryn abruptly stopped and jerkily grabbed at his waist, pulling him forward until his cock hit her lips. Taking hold of him she began to suck him in earnest.

_Oh, fuck me, yes_.

God almighty she could suck cock. Like he had had his fair share of blowjobs (several peoples fair share actually) but there was something about Kathryn's that was on another level. He wasn't sure if she was more skilled or if it was just because it was _her_, but either way he wasn't complaining. Her cheeks hollowed as she bobbed enthusiastically on his length, her eyes flickering upwards to meet his. Even with a dick in her mouth she looked haughty. That was impressive.

Sebastian threaded a hand through her hair, tugging tightly as his hips began to thrust against her face. "Oh fuck," he groaned, that familiar churning in his balls signaling he didn't have much time left. Suddenly everything went white behind his eyes and he roared as he emptied his load down his stepsisters' throat.

It took him a minute to come back to earth. When he did, he opened his eyes to find Kathryn licking her fingers clean, looking entirely too smug.

"The Kat who got the cream"

"Ha ha"

He leaned in and kissed her. "Time to level the playing field"

Sebastian bent down on his knees and grabbing his stepsister by the waist he dragged her to the edge of the bed. He made quick work of her panties, tugging them impatiently down her legs, with her bra following after. He attacked her breasts, suckling and biting her swollen nipples until she was withering in the sheets then made a slow descent back between her legs where he took his time nuzzling and sucking her thighs and naked mound. It didn't take her long to get impatient, grabbing him by the hair, jerking him up to meet her annoyed stare. "I'm not going to beg, so put your mouth where it belongs before I walk out of here and go finish in my room with my vibrator." Eyes flashing deviously, she added, "Or on Sullivan's cock."

He recognized an empty threat when he heard it, but since he really wasn't in the mood to start a game that might end with him _not_ getting laid, he did as she ordered. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" Sebastian spread her labia and took a long swipe from her asshole to her clit. Kathryn shuddered in pleasure. "That what you were looking for?"

"It's a start," she whined, arching against him. "_More_."

Sebastian attacked her cunt in earnest, suckling and licking every nook and cranny with unbridled enthusiasm, while keeping a near constant pressure on her engorged clit. It didn't take long for his darling sister to succumb to a babbling, incoherent mess, withering against the duvet so hard he had to pin her down to finish. For the grand finale he shoved a finger up her ass, making her jerk forward and call out his name as she orgasmed all over his tongue. He continued to deliver tiny, teasing licks against her clit that made her hips jerk and she whined in protest. Glancing up at her, he found her wide eyed, staring into space, panting, her hair messy and sticking to her temples her make-up gone to shit. Sebastian smiled smugly. _Top that Hargrove._

He might have dove back in for another round, but little Sebastian was rearing to go again and he needed to get inside her before he embarrassed himself. Stumbling to his feet, his arm already whining in protest about what he was about to do, he rubbed his cock against her bare mound. He should probably rubber up, but fuck it, it wasn't like they hadn't done it before. Plus, who knows when he'd get to do this again. Mine as well enjoy it to the fullest.

Looping an arm under her knee, he spread her wide while his other hand gathered her wrists, pinning them to the bed above her head. She was totally at his mercy. He let his cock head breach her opening slowly, before he hauled his hips back and slammed inside her. Sebastian grunted in pleasure as he was swallowed up by her pulsating warmth. His hazy gaze met Kathryn's and they shared a brief, conspiratorial smile before he began fucking her in earnest.

The bed creaked with every slam of his hips, the headboard banging off the wall. Sebastian realized he probably should have put on some music or something to drown it out, but his phone was across the room and there was no way he was stopping to go search for it. To make matters worse Kathryn began moaning. Loudly.

She screamed so loud there would be little doubt Sullivan or whomever else was listening would know _exactly_ what they were doing. Truth be told he didn't care about Sullivan knowing their business, but he didn't trust his father to suddenly show up and bust in on them.

"Shh," he ordered laughing as he said it.

Eyes flashing with devilish glee, Kathryn began to moan more theatrically, head tilted back as she cried out his name. "Oh, Sebastian harder, give it to me harder!" It was hot, don't get him wrong, but she was clearly doing it to be a brat. In retaliation Sebastian playfully covered her mouth with his hand. She in turn bit him. _Hard_.

"OW!" he exclaimed pulling back.

Kathryn giggled like a mischievous child. He shook his hand wryly at her. "You want to play?"

He pulled out of her abruptly then flipped her around onto her stomach. He jerked her hips up, then grabbing her by the back of the neck he pinned her face down on the mattress. Kathryn continued to laugh the whole time. "This what you want?"

"Uh huh"

Kathryn looked fucking incredible from behind, he could stare at the sight of her spread open and wanting all day and never get bored. Running a hand over her ass he teased, "You know I have half a mind to leave you like this. Bent over, exposed, your pussy all raw and open, begging to be filled."

"Sebastian…" she whined.

He waited a torturous beat then ordered, "_Beg_."

Honestly, he expected some kind of protest, or argument. Instead he was delighted when almost immediately she whimpered, "Fuck me, please. Fill me up. God…"

He didn't need any more than that. Hulling her back by the hips, he did as she asked, filling her to the brim. She cried out again, although he suspected she wasn't playing this time. Holding her down Sebastian fucked her hard, his hips snapping violently against her ass as he pummeled her insides. He soon lost himself in her, forgetting everything and everyone except for the exquisite sensation of her snug cunt. Reaching between them he palmed her pussy, rubbing erratically at her clit. Kathryn bucked against him, her whimpers soon turning into incoherent babbles of _more_, and _harder_, and _fuck_.

Leaning over her, face pressed to her sweaty shoulder blades. "Fuck…Kathryn…goddamnit…" Honestly, he had no idea what he was saying but it didn't matter anymore. They were both so far gone they didn't know their own names. Kathryn came first, jerking underneath him, before pulling him along with her. Sebastian had planned to finish on her back, but he was too lost in the fuck to care. He emptied out inside her, crying out against her shoulder before collapsing on top of her.

They laid in a sweaty heap for a long while, before Sebastian came back to himself and gently rolled off her. Kathryn groaned, turning on her side to face him. "That was intense."

He nodded in agreement. Totally beyond words. Truthfully, he could have slept for a week after that but there was no way in hell he was going to. He could sleep when he was at school. He wanted to spend the last hours in New York fucking her unconscious.

"You think they heard us?"

"Kathryn, I think all of fifth avenue heard you."

She grinned, totally unbothered. "Will you get in trouble?"

"Don't care." He leaned in a kissed her cheek, his hand already making the familiar trek down her body. "You were worth it."

* * *

"Well what do you think?"

"Hmm…I could totally live here."

They were walking past Central Park, having just come from doing a quick drive by of the MET. Annette had been trying to cram as much culture as she could into their little sightseeing odyssey while starving off most of the tourist crap. However, thirty minutes in Trevor started to get restless and ignoring her attempts to get him interested, spent most of the time flirting with the security guard. Annette gave up and they left, stopping at a food vendor to grab a hot dog.

Chatting about nothing in particular, Annette was struck by just how much she missed him. She had known Trevor since they were in diapers and he was her best friend, but deep down she never really thought she _needed_ him. To be frank, she had always preferred her own company to anyone else's and outside of Trevor and Shiv never felt the need to cultivate friendships. But spending the afternoon with him, she realized how desperately she missed this, talking with him about absolutely nothing at all, with no threat of drama or head games. She could also be completely honest with him

"Thanks for coming to see me Trev." With her arm looped around his, she let her head rest against him as they walked. "I really wish you could stay. I don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of this year," she admitted quietly, gaze on the cars that whizzed past them throwing taillights.

Trevor threw an arm around her shoulders tugging her closer. "I'll tell you how you'll get through. As a bright, shinning, fucking success—just as always."

Annette smiled up at him, but she didn't really share his enthusiasm. Trevor quickly jumped topics, telling her about some club he wanted them to check out that night, when Annette looked up and came to a stop. Somehow, she had managed to forget that the Valmont Mansion was on this street, which was absurd given how often she used to frequent it. She stared across the street at the gothic building and suddenly she had trouble catching her breath.

"Ann? Annie?" Trevor ran a hand over her face to get her attention. "What's going on?"

She sighed and nodded with her head at the house. "That's where she lives."

There was no need to quantify who the 'she' was she was referring to. Trevor stood up a little straighter. "Shit. Which apartment is hers?"

Annette let out a short laugh. "Apartment? Try the whole building. The Valmont's have more money than god."

He let out a low whistle. "Impressive." Elbowing her side, in an obvious effort to loosen her up he asked, "You two used to mess around there?"

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah all the time. Her bedroom in the one on the corner, I used to sneak up the servant's entrance so I wouldn't run into any of her family. This one time, late at night she was waiting for me when I arrived and…" Annette trailed off, not able to finish the memory. They had sex in the stairwell that night. It had been hot, no doubt, but it had also been something more. Annette remembered how euphoric she felt that night being with her, how she couldn't stop smiling or laughing. How Kathryn looked at her with that full smile of hers.

Annette suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. Dropping the unfinished hot dog in her hand, she collapsed on a nearby bench, panting hard like she just ran a marathon. Head bent over, she could feel her heart hammering in her chest and the blood rushing to her ears.

"Annette?" Trevor was beside her in an instant, his whole jovial manor replaced by anxious concern. "Annie what is it?"

_I'm never going to have that again_. Even if she did fall in love again it would never be what she had with Kathryn. It would never have that intensity, that power, that all-consuming passion. Annette ran from her because she didn't want me be swallowed up whole by her, but maybe that was the whole point.

Kathryn was gone to her now. Annette saw to it. She threw away their whole epic, crazy love because she was a fucking coward.

Before she even knew what was happening. Annette found herself sobbing. They caught in her throat, making it hard for her to breath and talk. Trevor wrapped her in a tight embrace, assuring her she was okay. "No, I'm not," she cried.

"Honey it's alright. I told you this would happen eventually," he assured. "No matter how much you repress it, this messy emotional shit always rises to the surface."

"It's not that." She pulled back wiping her eyes. "Trevor, I think I made a mistake."

* * *

Kathryn woke up alone. Blinking against the harsh morning light, that was streaming unsolicited through the heavy drapes, she was struck with immediately déjà vu. She woke up not knowing where she was until her gaze fell upon the wall of books in front of her. This time, however, instead of being horrified, she smiled into his sheets.

Turning around, sporting a dopey smile, she expected to find him beside her only no one was there. Odd. Groaning, Kathryn sat up in the bed and looked around. The room was just as she left it when she fell asleep the night before. Clothes scattered about, a dinner tray left forgotten on the floor, a bottle of Dom resting on the night side table. No Sebastian.

"Sebastian?" she called out softly, only to be met with silence. Both the bathroom and closet doors were open, so he wasn't in there.

Perhaps he went to get her breakfast. After all there was no way he'd leave without saying goodbye, right? Not after last night. Deciding she'd wait and let him surprise her, she laid back in bed, smirking as she recalled the events of the night before. Gazing at her wrists there were faint bruises left from when he pinned her to the bed. She felt sore all over, but it was a good kind of sore, one that felt well earned. God it had been an amazing night. Kathryn let him do whatever he wanted to her body. Well everything except that _one_ thing. She offered of course, (actually she begged at one point) but he told her he wanted to wait until he returned for the holiday break as it would give him something to look forward to.

"_Think of it as my Christmas gift"_

"_I would think after a semester at Military school you'd have your fill of ass fucking."_

He tackled her then, tickling her until she screamed for him to stop and he obliged before finding much more interesting way to make her scream. Kathryn found herself smiling idiotically at the memory.

However, her grin soon melted away when she realized twenty minutes had passed and he still wasn't there. She checked her phone for any texts or missed calls. Nothing. Panic began to grip her throat when she thought he might have really left without saying goodbye. Getting up gingerly from the bed, she grabbed one of her stepbrother's robes and put it on before doing a quick check of the room looking for a note he might have left. Nothing.

Growing annoyed, she decided to go hunt for him. She searched the parlor and most of the second floor without success. When she heard someone in the east wing dining room, she grinned, turning on her heel she headed in the direction of the noise. "You better have a good excuse—_oh_."

Kathryn came up short when she found her stepfather sitting at the head of the long dining room table, a breakfast feast laid out before him. He offered up his usual jovial grin at her arrival. "Kathryn! Just in time. Join me for some breakfast sweetheart."

"Good morning Edward, I was looking for Sebastian."

"Oh, I'm sorry dear you just missed him."

Kathryn blinked in surprise. "He left?"

"Yes, first thing this morning." He rattled off some meaningless info about plane itinerary's or some bullshit she didn't hear. She couldn't believe he would just fucking walk out without at least saying goodbye. Remembering how giddy she felt this morning she suddenly felt like an asshole.

"Are you alright honey?"

She blinked, coming back to herself and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep that well last night." Not exactly a lie.

Edward shot a pointed look at the oversized robe she was wearing, that clearly didn't belong to her and remarked, "So I gathered."

It occurred to her then that he likely heard them fucking last night. Oddly enough she didn't care. Refusing to be shamed or embarrassed, she merely offered up her stepfather a slight condescending smile before circling around the table to take the seat next to him. Kathryn wasn't particularly hungry, but she didn't want to look like she was going to cry in her bedroom because his stupid son fucked her and left her without so much as a note. Above all else, a Merteuil woman knows how to save face.

As a servant set a cup of coffee down in front of her Edward folded his newspaper up and remarked, "It's the damndest thing about that plane not taking off yesterday. And that excuse Nick gave…engine trouble. That plane hasn't had so much as a fuel leak since I bought it."

"Hmm," Kathryn hummed absently.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think someone might have unduly influenced him on Sebastian's behalf."

Kathryn allowed herself a slight smirk and replied innocently, "Now who would do that?"

Edward stared her down and when that had no effect on her he shook his head ruefully and declared,  
"There's so much of your mother in you sometimes it's frightening."

"Fuck you," Kathryn replied apathetically.

He sighed, "Okay, let's cut the shit, shall we? I really didn't want to have this conversation with you, but you're leaving me no choice. I tried with Sebastian, but apparently it didn't take. You on the other hand have always been a practical girl, so here it is: this thing between you and Sebastian needs to stop."

Kathryn inhaled sharply. "It's really none of your concern."

"My children are fucking. I think it's very much my concern. Look, I know your mother and I aren't exactly parents of the year—" Kathryn snorted loudly and he shot her a look before continuing, "But that doesn't change the fact that we love you and don't want to see you fuck up your life. God forbid anyone finds out about this. It would not only screw up your lives but ours as well."

Kathryn of course was more than aware of all this, still she argued, "We're step-siblings Edward. We didn't grow up together, not really and no offense do you really see this unholy union of yours lasting much longer?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. As much as the woman drives me crazy, I do love your mother, very much and have no intentions of divorcing her anytime soon. So, if the two of you were planning on waiting this marriage out, I'd prepare to get comfortable. "

"We weren't planning on anything," she muttered into her coffee. "We're just fooling around."

"Look, I'm not saying all of this to be a jerk. Truth be told, if you weren't _related_ to him, I'm be very happy for the two of you."

"Hurrah."

"But it needs to stop Kathryn. Seriously."

She stared at him for a long beat. Truth be told she didn't know what she felt at that moment, anger at him for getting involved or annoyance with herself for being so crushingly disappointed at being ditched once again.

"You have nothing to worry about Edward," she assured him. "It was just sex. We're not planning on running away together, we're not in love. We're just…killing time."

Edward looked far from convinced and who could blame him. She didn't exactly sell that lie. "Sure"

"What you don't believe me? Trust me, I have no interest in panting after your son."

"Honey, I think for better or worse you are your mother's daughter. You talk a tough game, but inside you're just as human as everyone else."

"Well then you better hope for your sake Edward you're wrong," she remarked, rising up from the table.

"Oh, why's that?"

"Because if there's one universal truth about Merteuil women it's that she always gets what she wants."

"And what is it you want Kathryn?"

Looking back at her stepfather she didn't reply. She merely smiled.


	32. The Christmas Eve Reunion, Part 1

**Chapter 31: The Christmas Eve Reunion, Part I**

* * *

_2 Months Later_

Snow on Christmas eve. The epitome of every cliché from every Christmas movie he's ever had to suffer through. It was a lie of course. It almost never snows on Christmas, even in New York. But here they were, a foot and a half on the ground with another two predicted to fall by tomorrow. Sebastian usually detested snow and really, anything having to do with the holidays. However, as the town car made its slow ascent up the long drive to the Rosemond estate, he gazed out the window at the falling snow blanketing everything it touched, and Sebastian had to admit it was beautiful.

Truth be told, he was in a disgustingly good mood. He supposed it was likely attributed to his reprieve from Braxton Hill, the military academy he had been exiled to, a shiny miserable hellhole that made Manchester look like a luxury resort in comparison. And yet, even old Braxton Hill would normally have been preferable to spending Christmas with his family. Sebastian usually dreaded the holiday get togethers at the estate, everybody miserable and more caustic than normal. His stepmother picking fights, Aunt Helen pretending to ignore it and forcing everyone to put on their best company face. This year however, he predicted things would be different.

As the looming estate came into view, Sebastian felt his heart jump into his throat and his pulse quicken. Sixty-seven days. It had been sixty-seven days since he last saw her and during that time there hadn't been a minute where she wasn't close to his thoughts. Kathryn. It was strange to think that three months ago he would be indifferent to seeing her again, maybe even dreading it.

It was funny how one night could change everything.

They spent the whole night fucking and laughing and talking. It had never been like that between them before, easy that is. No head games, no bullshit. Not to mention the sex, which had been nothing short of epic. There had been nothing acrobatic in their lovemaking, he didn't even get to fuck her in the ass, but it had none the less been a perfect night.

Of course, all nights end. Although Sebastian hadn't anticipated his ending quite how it had…

"_Going somewhere?"_

_Sebastian startled at the sound of his father's voice and turned around to find him emerging from the shadows of the dark hallway. Closing his bedroom door, to make sure Kathryn wasn't awoken he hissed, "Jesus. I'm just going to grab some breakfast. Why are you lurking in the dark?"_

"_We need to talk. You broke the rules son."_

_Playing dumb he remarked flippantly, "No I didn't. I never left the house."_

"_Oh, I'm well aware. The entire household is well aware. You two weren't exactly subtle."_

_Shit, he should have gagged her. "I don't know what you're referring to."_

"_Uh huh. Look, you promised me that was a one time thing between you two."_

_Sebastian shrugged by way of answer. _

"_Not good enough Sebastian."_

"_Oh, what do you want from me?" he snapped irritably. "This isn't any of your business."_

_His father let out an incredulous laugh, "You're my son. She's my daughter—"_

"_**Stepdaughter**__," he corrected. "And please spare me the parental lecture, you're not impressing anyone. What goes on between me and Kathryn is none of your concern." _

_Sebastian started away, hoping to end the conversation but his father was quick on his heels grabbing his arm. "We had a deal son. If you couldn't keep it in your pants, no car, so winter break."_

"_Fine." Sebastian fished out his car keys and handed them over. Edward appeared genuinely shocked. "Keep it. As far as winter break is concerned, well I'm sure Aunt Helen will have something to say about that. I just have to get through a semester and a half of military school and then I'm on my own. We're not Kathryn and Tiffany, dad. I won't let you dictate my life."_

"_If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in lo—"_

"_Please don't finish that thought."_

"_Son be reasonable," his father sighed. "Are you really willing to risk your reputation, your future, all for a relationship, that let's be honest, has slim to no shot of actually working out. She's your goddamn stepsister and more importantly she's a Merteuil. There's no scenario here where you end up with happily ever after. You know that."_

_Indeed he did. He wasn't so head-in-the-clouds happy that he didn't recognize the reality of the situation. One night wouldn't change everything. Still, he had to believe the dial had moved at least a little bit in his direction. "Nothing you say dad, is going to change anything. Now, I'm going to grab some breakfast. Let me know when the plane is taking off."_

_Sebastian turned to leave only to stop in his tracks when his father called out, "What if I told you I could make it so you didn't have to spend all of your senior year at Braxton Hill?"_

_Slowly he turned. "How?"_

"_Look, you're going to have to do at least a couple months there. But provided you behave and if you promise to end this thing with your sister, I'll bring you home permanently after winter break."_

"_Tiffany will never agree."_

"_Let me handle her," he told him. "But if you agree, you cut things off with Kathryn now. No goodbye, no further communication and when you do return, you keep your hands to yourself. I catch you two together, I'll tell Tiffany and __**she'll**__ end it—permanently. I think it's safe to say none of us want that."_

_Tiffany would likely try to send Kathryn away or worse. Sebastian wondered if he didn't agree if his father would do it anyway. Probably not, he decided, but he wasn't about to call his bluff. _

"_Come on son, do you really want to spend your senior year at an all-boy's school? Martyring yourself on behalf of a Merteuil is right up there with shoving your dick in garbage disposal—pointless and painful. I know you're smarter than that. You know if the roles were reversed, Kathryn's wouldn't hesitate."_

_He made an excellent point. Glancing forlornly at his bedroom door Sebastian sighed and asked, "Do I get to keep my jag if I agree?"_

Well, he'd be an idiot not to take the deal. Of course, he had no intentions of actually _keeping_ his part of the bargain. Sebastian did as his father requested and didn't say goodbye to Kathryn, he didn't even write her a note. In hindsight he probably should have at least sent a text, but he didn't want to risk it. Besides, he couldn't help but think this might be a good test of whether that night meant the same to her as it did to him.

Two months later he couldn't be sure as they hadn't spoken. The academy didn't allow cell phones and the only people they were allowed to contact was their parents. Sebastian wasn't sure what he would say to her even if given the opportunity. He had attempted to write her, but everything he wrote sounded trite and inadequate. Kathryn would only laugh at him. She had written him only once, a long erotically charged letter and then nothing. He didn't hold it against her, knowing she likely got bogged down with school and end of the year bullshit.

Or else she got herself another Court stand-in or worse, reunited with Hargrove. Sebastian tried not to dwell on that.

They eventually arrived at the house, with Sebastian exiting the car before the driver could open the door. As was tradition, the house was all done up for Christmas. A giant decorated tree in the foyer, garland wrapped around the buster. Poinsettias everywhere. It was as it always was only it was missing the usual hectic energy that encompassed it. No frantic servants running about, no cheery Aunt Helen to greet him, not even the sounds of his bickering parents. _Huh_.

He headed into the quiet parlor, half expecting to find them all gathered but it was empty as well. Sebastian was about to call out for a servant, when he looked up and noticed Kathryn standing at the opposite entrance of the room. She was scowling. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sebastian blinked, taken aback by her hostility. Right then his anticipation for their reunion deflated like a birthday balloon. "Well Merry Christmas to you too, sis," he drawled sarcastically. "Where are the parentals?"

Kathryn expelled an annoyed sigh as she flounced further into the room. As always, she looked beautiful wearing a cream cashmere body hugging dress. This was the only time of the year she rejected her usual dark color pallet in favor of white's and neutrals. Sebastian suspected it went back to her childhood and her trying to snow Santa into putting her on the nice list by appearing more angelic.

"They're still in the city with Aunt Helen. They got stuck on account of the weather, they won't be here until tomorrow. I was under the impression you were with them."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"It's fine. I'm used to it where you're concerned."

Sebastian's brow lifted at the bitchy comment. He watched as she took a seat at the piano and began tinkering with the keys, some familiar melody forgotten during his piano lesson years. Standing over her he demanded, "What's up your ass?"

"Nothing."

"I get the feeling you're angry with me."

Kathryn looked up and flashed him a mocking grin. "No one's ever accused you of being stupid."

"Oh, that's not true. Your little girlfriend accused me of it quite frequently."

She stopped playing, ending on a sour note, then glared at him. Clearly it was still a sore subject. Sebastian didn't give a fuck. "Did you two get back together? Is that it?"

"No"

"Then what's wrong? I was actually under the impression that you would be happy to see me." His mind immediately flashed back to his last memory of her, curled up against his chest, smiling up at him coyly as she told him some anecdote from her childhood.

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" She began playing again, this time _Deck the Halls_. Speaking over the piano she explained, "You leave without saying goodbye, never contact me and ignore my letters, but you expect I'll drop to my knees at the sight of you? Tell me, when exactly did you start confusing me with those insipid girls you manipulate into sleeping with you?"

Sebastian gaped at her, genuinely caught off guard. His mind struggled to keep up. The incessant music wasn't helping any. "Hold up." He sat down beside her on the bench and stopped her hands. "You can't be mad at me for that."

Kathryn's eyes widened and she let out a disbelieving huff. "Is that so?"

"I mean there's a valid reason I ghosted you."

"This should be good."

"I made a deal with my father. If I agreed to end things with you, he'd let me come home after winter break."

He anticipated her going off on him again, so he was genuinely surprised when she sighed, "I assumed it was something like that."

"Then why the hell are you being such a bitch?"

"Because you never so much as called me or wrote or texted. You completely blew me off."

She resumed playing forcing Sebastian to talk over it. "I tried to write you but nothing I wrote was adequate."

"And yet you have no problem being prolific when you're tearing me down."

He looked upwards, his frustration mounting. "I wanted to call you."

"Uh huh"

"You don't believe me?"

She smiled big. "Nope."

Sebastian reached over and once again stopped her hands, halting the music. "Well believe this: in the sixty seven days I've been gone, you're the only thing I've thought about. The only thing that got me through waking up at five am every morning, asshole drill sergeants, no sex, no booze, was knowing I'd get to come home to you for Christmas."

It was a little corny, but it seemed to do the trick. He watched with a small measure of satisfaction as the softness returned to her face. Pushing his luck, Sebastian cupped her cheek and leaned in. Just as his mouth was brushing hers, she murmured, "Nice try." Kathryn pulled back, that sharp set of her mouth returned. "Edward told me about that girl you got caught messing around with. The sergeant's daughter, wasn't it?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "That was nothing—less than nothing. In fact, it was the very definition of a one and done fuck."

"How romantic"

His gaze narrowed at her when he recalled a nugget of info his father dropped during one of their calls. At the time he hadn't really thought anything of it and it probably was nothing, but he was desperate for something to rub in her face. "You know you weren't exactly celibate when I was gone. My father mentioned something about finding you messing around with Hunter Mattison during the Crenshaw wedding. Care to elaborate sis?"

"Not really," she replied with a mysterious little smile. "After all, someone had to pick up the slack after you abandoned—"

He cut her off before she could finish the sentence, grabbing her face he kissed her hotly. Kathryn groaned against his mouth and gave a halfhearted attempt to push him back before giving in, kissing him back in equal measure, her small hand fisted in his shirt. Sebastian broke away just long enough to murmurer, "I missed you like crazy."

"Hm," she hummed between kisses.

"There's no fucking way I'm keeping my hands off you."

"It's a shame I haven't made up my mind on the matter."

Sebastian smiled against her lips. "Bitch."

They kissed again—and kept kissing until Sebastian heard the softest little gasp in the world. He looked up to find Annette standing at the threshold of the room. Eyes wide, mouth a hard line. Sebastian tried to make sense of her presence until his gaze fell on Kathryn. She did not look surprised, not even a little bit.

Sitting back Sebastian released a sigh. So much for a drama-free holiday.

* * *

Annette fucking hated the holidays. She hated all the cheap sentiment, the false cheer, the rampant consumerism. Worst of all though, she despised being forced to spend time with her family. For weeks, she had been dreading getting dragged back to Kansas for Christmas, trying to think up ways to get out of it. When her father announced they had been invited to spend the holiday at the Rosemond's Annette was ecstatic.

That of course was before she discovered she was walking into a trap.

"Fucking idiot." Grabbing a handful of clothes from the dresser she tossed them unceremoniously into her suitcase. Marching around the decadent guest room, the same one she stayed in last summer, Annette continued to empty out the closet she just filled not an hour ago, cursing under her breath the entire time, lamenting her stupid decision to show up early to 'surprise' her ex.

These past couple months had been a slow torture for her. Following her breakdown outside the Valmont residence, Annette pulled herself together and ignoring Trevor's advice to try to talk to her, decided to push all her messy emotional shit under the rug and follow her original course. As painful as it was, she had to accept that they were over.

Meanwhile, Kathryn continued ignoring her in private (she indeed did change her number) but in public, when surrounded by their peers, she was polite and friendly, never without that fake debutante smile. Annette somehow thought this was worse than being ignored. Realizing she had made her bed, she tried to move on. She had a few private dalliances but all they managed to do was remind her what she was missing.

As the weeks passed, Annette came to realize she couldn't keep this up. What was the point of this bright, shiny future if she was going to end up miserable? Being with Kathryn, even when they were driving each other crazy, had been the best time in her life. And she had let it go all because she was too chicken shit to follow through.

She wanted to talk to Kathryn, fantasized about dragging her into an abandoned classroom, like she used to do or cornering her near her locker, but she was too afraid of being rejected. Instead, she observed her from afar, looking for signs that she was just as miserable as her. Annette even tried to talk to her friends, which as expected went nowhere. Ainsley just pretended she didn't hear her, while Jack had been kinder but offered no help, assuring her Kathryn was fine and it was best if she left her alone.

Finally, Shiv, who had putting up with her moody ass for months, offered to go talk with Kathryn and suss out (without revealing Annette's feelings) what was going on with her or if she was seeing anyone. However, she came up empty handed.

Annette was starting to think it was a lost cause, when Shiv dragged her out one night to some party at a townhouse in the city. Annette was on her way to getting good and wasted when she collapsed in some random bedroom. She was starting to drift off when suddenly Kathryn was looming over her. Honestly, she thought she was imagining it at first.

"_There you are." Kathryn brushed the hair from her face, laying down beside her._

_Annette blinked, wondering if she was real. Slowly she reached for her, curling a hand around her neck and pulling her closer. She kissed her and Annette felt as if she just remembered how to breath. She kissed her back, sloppy and eager until her lungs began to burn with the need for oxygen. Panting against her mouth she asked, "Where have you been?"_

_Kathryn smiled. "Waiting."_

She fucked her there, her hand working between her legs as her mouth feasted on her neck and lips until she came panting against the hollow of her neck. Annette had tried to touch her too, but when she had pulled away and without a word started fixing her clothes. When she asked where she was going, Kathryn coldly responded without so much as a glance back, "This never happened."

Annette had been left hurt and confused by her seeming rejection, until her father came home one evening and told her about the invite to the Rosemond estate. Just like that, her stupid hopes soared even though that small voice in the back of her head told her to be on guard. Still, it felt like an olive branch. Then when she called the house the day before and was told Kathryn was already at the estate, Annette was sure this was her way of luring her there so they could have some privacy. She arrived at the estate earlier that afternoon and had purposely not gone looking for Kathryn. The house was so big people could come and go all the time without no one even realizing it. She had planned to surprise her at lunch, but it was she who got the surprise when she wandered into the drawing room to find Kathryn making out with her stepbrother.

Suddenly everything seemed to make a sort of sense (as much as it could were Kathryn was concerned). This was all part of some game she was playing, whether it be for revenge or just to mess with her. She wanted to rub whatever it was she was doing with Sebastian in her face. Annette resented being made a fool of or even worse one of her puppets. There was no way she was spending another minute in that house with the two of them.

"Going somewhere?"

Annette paused and looked up to see Kathryn leaning against the doorframe, her expression coolly indifferent. "Yeah." She resumed her packing. "I'm heading back to the city."

"And after you wasted so much time sneaking in her in the first place. When did you arrive anyway?"

"A couple of hours ago. As if you didn't know."

"I didn't actually."

Kathryn stepped further into the room, arms crossed to her chest, hip cocked against the dresser. Annette was disgusted by how pleased she was to talk like this with her again. It just fueled her indignation all the more. "Whatever. I'm on the next train out of here."

"How dramatic," Kathryn mocked. "What, do you expect me to chase after you like he did, meet you in front of the escalator at Penn station? Good luck with that. And by the by, you'll never get a train on Christmas eve in this weather."

Annette glanced out the window at the falling snow that was easily coming down twice as hard as it was when she arrived. _Shit_. Trying to save face she argued, "I don't care. I'll sleep at the train station. Anywhere but here. I'm not playing this game with you."

"I wasn't aware I was playing a game."

"Cut the shit Kathryn. I'm not doing this anymore."

She straightened up, her eyes becoming sharper. "What exactly is it you think I've done?"

Annette really didn't want to get into it with her, at the same time the thought of not talking to her again like this, even if they were just trading insults, made her want to die. "You seduced me, make me think that we still had a chance, then invite me to spend Christmas with you all so you could make out with your brother in front of me. As far as revenge scenarios go it's a little amateur hour don't you think?"

"Yes…it also has no basis in reality."

"Oh?"

Kathryn edged closer to her and Annette realized for the first time that Kathryn wasn't just annoyed with her, she was furious. Practically shaking from it. "One, I never seduced you. I was drunk and didn't know who I was fucking until half way into it." Annette flinched at this, but before she could really contemplate it Kathryn continued. "Second, I didn't invite you to Christmas, that would be my mother. She thought it would be a good look, sooth some of the bite from the scandal. As you weren't expected until _Christmas_ your arrival here is somewhat of a surprise. Lastly, as for what you walked in on, it's fair to say it's none of your business. If I choose to hug, kiss or mount Sebastian on the fucking piano it's no longer your concern. I'm not playing any games with you Hargrove. When I said I was ripping off the Band-Aid with you, I meant it."

Annette lamely let go of her suitcase as she took this all in. She had never felt more foolish in her life. "Kathryn, I'm sorry, I thought—"

"I really don't care," she snapped, then turned on her heel and headed for the door.

Annette came after her, grabbing her arm. "Kathryn please, can't we just—"

Kathryn whirled around, yanking her arm out of her grip. Her eyes were wild in fury, her mouth a hard thin line. "Let's get one thing straight. You're the one who broke _my_ heart. You no longer get to claim the moral high ground. Save your righteous indignation for someone who gives a shit."

Taken back by her hostility she uncharacteristically stammered, "I-I'm sorry. You're right, I have no right to accuse you of anything."

"Save it," she sneered. "I don't give a fuck about your sorry's. Too little, too late. Have a nice trip back."

With that she strut out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Annette shut her eyes, reveling in her own stupidity. "Well done Hargrove."

* * *

"Well, aren't you going to inquire how it's going?"

"Honestly, I'm a little afraid to ask."

Jack's warm laughter on the other end of the line, did the trick of soothing her earlier irritation. Reaching for the glass of wine, Kathryn sunk further into the arm chair, her heels propped up the table in front of her. "Everything is going to plan. Sebastian is so confused he doesn't know his ass from his elbow and Annette is practically on her knees begging for forgiveness. I have them right where I want them."

"Confused and apologetic?"

"No dummy, at my mercy."

"I see."

"Now I just have to see which one breaks first."

There was a long pause on the other end. Kathryn knew he was gearing up to say something she wouldn't like. "I know you don't want to hear it, but has it occurred to you there's a possibility this might blow up in your face? What if they—"

Kathryn rolled her eyes, cutting him off. "I don't need your Jiminy Cricket bullshit right now," she snapped meanly, before instantly regretting it. She honestly adored Jack she didn't know why she was always compelled to say the cruelest thing that popped into her head. Too many years of dealing with Sebastian she supposed. She didn't apologize (because with Jack she never had to) and instead, quietly argued her case. "After what they put me through, don't I deserve to get what I want?"

Thinking back on the past couple months, Kathryn scowled at how pathetic she'd been. After Annette had dumped her, she cried for days, didn't eat, didn't want to see anyone. She had never felt a loss like that in her life. Kathryn had pulled herself together long enough to say goodbye to Sebastian. The fact that the encounter had been more profound that she was expecting came as a nice surprise. She fell asleep that night with the hope that maybe she could put Annette behind her with the help of Sebastian. However, in the harsh light of day, she realized how completely moronic that scenario was when she woke up alone, no good-bye note, no nothing. When she wrote her stepbrother and received no reply in return, she decided to chalk the whole episode up to one more stupid mistake on her part.

Kathryn tried to move on, or at least give the impression that she had, but she felt as if she was going through the motions. Not only was she bored with her social calendar of society brunches and committee meetings. She was lonely. She tried to busy herself with her many obligations and the occasional lover she picked up in clubs, but it all felt so phony and mundane, there was no excitement in it anymore. The only bright spot at the time was her friendship with Jack. Kathryn tried to persuade him to take their relationship to another level, but he refused until he was sure she was over Annette and Sebastian. Fat chance.

For awhile she waited in a sort of limbo, waiting for whatever was coming next. She dutifully ignored Annette at school and pretended not to listen when her stepfather brought up Sebastian's dalliances at school. She thought if she could go on ignoring the two of them, maybe she'd get over this.

And then it happened. She started to notice Annette watching her at school. Occasionally she'd catch her out of the corner of her eye, watching her from the other side of the room, or from down the hall. She didn't think much of it at first and then Ainsley came to her one day reporting Hargrove tried to speak to her and what should she do? Jack told her the same thing. Kathryn coolly ordered them to do nothing, tell her nothing, she no longer mattered. Then after gym one afternoon, Siobhan cornered under the guise of wanting to know about the French mid-term. Kathryn saw right through her bullshit. Like all women who were desperate to learn something, she told more than she learned. Kathryn of course gave nothing away.

So the obvious conclusion of all of this was Annette wanted her back. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the possibility. She was also more than a little resentful, still smarting from the pain she caused her. Around this time, her mother revealed to her that Edward was planning on letting Sebastian stay in New York for good when he came home from Christmas. Her mother was fuming while Kathryn was secretly elated while also itching for a little payback for how he ghosted her. In the coming weeks a plan began to take form in her devious brain on how she could get exactly what she wanted.

Naturally, Jack didn't approve.

"Kathryn, I think this has real potential to blow up in your face. Would you like me to remind you how?"

"Nope, I think I got it the first five hundred times. Face it, it's going to happen and all of your pearl clutching won't change my mind." Kathryn finished off the rest of her wine she changed the subject. "How's Connecticut?"

"Boring. I wish you were here."

"I'm sure Penelope would love that."

Jack had been seeing Penelope Pope for about a month now. She was beautiful and sweet and everyone adored her. Everyone with the exception of Kathryn of course. She made no secret of this to Jack.

"Contrary to what you believe, she doesn't have a problem with you or our friendship. I don't think that girl could hate anyone."

"What a saint," she sneered. Shifting in her chair, Kathryn smiled into the receiver. "Tell me, does she get you as hard as I do?"

She pictured Jack blushing at the question. "No," he admitted softly. "She's a great girl," he told her lamely. "But, uh, she's not you."

"Yeah, no shit. Look, I've been thinking…"

Kathryn trailed off when she got distracted by music coming from the speaker beside her bed. It was Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker suite, specifically the Russian Dance. It started off barely audible and soon got so loud she could barely hear Jack on the other end.

"What is that?" he practically yelled. "Are you at the theater?"

"No." She rose to her feet, rolling her eyes. "I believe I'm being summoned. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Hanging up Kathryn headed out of her guest bedroom and down to the first floor to the indoor pool. She had a pretty good idea who was behind this nonsense. It reeked of Sebastian's immaturity. Throwing open the door to the pool room, she squared her shoulders, gearing up to put him in his place. "You really think you're clever, don't you asshole?"

Kathryn came to an immediate halt when she spotted Annette, sitting on the edge of the pool, wearing a small robe. "I have my moments," she replied, her grin saucy and confident.

Shaking off her surprise Kathryn sneered, "Cribbing from Sebastian now? It's a little juvenile, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but it is effective. Did I interrupt something?"

She thought this was her roundabout way of asking if she was with Sebastian. For a brief moment Kathryn considers lying. "Yes, actually, I was in the middle of a phone call."

Annette tilted her head coquettishly. "Join me for a swim?"

"I don't think so."

Kathryn turned and headed for the exit, curious to see how far she'd let her go. Immediately the music changed from Tchaikovsky, to Mariah Carey's _All I Want for Christmas is You_. Kathryn wheeled back around, rolling her eyes. "Subtle." Annette dropped her robe revealing a very tiny black bikini, not at all her style. The few times they had gone swimming over the summer, she usually donned a one piece Kathryn had come to label her Amish bathing guard. Eying her full breasts and the smooth dip of her stomach, she vowed to find that suit and burn it. Shaking off her momentary lust she replied haughtily, "Or maybe just desperate."

Annette made a playful face before slipping into the pool. "Get in the water."

Kathryn frowned. "Not a chance."

"Come on, don't be a pussy."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

Annette swam towards the edge and when she was close enough, she started splashing her. Kathryn squealed as she was pelted by the cool water. "Stop it! Knock it off! FINE!" Acquiescing she stepped back and ripped her dress over her head, leaving her in a cream, bra and panty set. She let Annette ogle her a moment before diving in the pool.

"You're a fucking child, you know that?" she spat as she rose to the surface.

Annette shrugged, unbothered. "You got in, didn't you?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. As they treaded water an odd tension filled the gaps between them. Annette swam closer. "So, who were you talking to?"

"Jack." An idea came to her then or rather a lie. "He's trying to get me to join him in Greenwich. I'm thinking of trying to sneak out of here before the adults arrive."

As always Annette saw right through her bullshit. "You wouldn't dare. Your mother would throw a shit fit and you know it. If you're trying to make me jealous of Jack it won't work. I know you're not seeing him. He's dating that Penelope chick, and everyone knows what a boy scout he is."

Kathryn bristled under her cool assuredness. "He's in love with me."

"I'm sure he is." Annette swam even closer her, Kathryn watched the water bead around her lips as she murmured, "But you're not in love with him."

Kathryn swam away, putting distance between them again. "I forgot. Little Hargrove knows everything. Are you keeping tabs on me or something?"

"Of course"

"I can't see why," she sighed.

"Can't you?" Annette bobbed in the water, her expression losing confidence. "Are you going to make me say it? I fucked up, okay? Breaking up with you was the stupidest thing I've ever done."

Somehow Kathryn thought this would feel more monumental when she admitted it, like some kind of weight would be lifted from her. Instead, it just felt like words. "Oh? What about your grand future? The one you wanted without me. What about us being too toxic for each other?"

"I got…spooked, okay? Things between us were getting so intense it scared me."

Kathryn floated along. "I'm starting to think you were right," she mused. "Maybe I am too selfish to love anybody."

"That's _not_ what I said."

"It's what you meant." She bobbed closer to her in the water. "So, what is this Hargrove, you're feeling lonely this holiday season, so you want me back? What, should I drop to my knees in gratitude?"

Annette shook her head. Kathryn found a small measure of pleasure in the panic she saw rise up in her eyes. "That's not what I—"

"Has it even occurred to you that maybe I might have moved on from our little relationship?"

She flinched. "With Sebastian?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "That wasn't what I meant, but, in the interest of full disclosure, I did sleep with him before he left. It…changed things between us."

Annette didn't react to this. "It couldn't have changed things that much if you're here with me now." She swam closer until she was fully invading her personal space. "I don't care about him or Jack or whomever else, they don't count. Only you and I count."

Kathryn forgot how intoxicating Annette's confidence could be. It could rival her own on occasion. Trying to hold her ground she replied curly, "There is no you and I."

Her answering smile was faint. "Oh baby, haven't you figured it out by now? You and I are never over, even when we are."

Before she could argue this familiar statement, Annette lunged forward, grabbing her by the back of the head and kissing her fiercely. Kathryn was momentarily caught off guard. Her first instinct was to shove her off, maybe laugh at her, tell her how clueless she was, make her feel as small as Kathryn did that day in her bedroom. Instead, she gave into that small, irrational part of herself that got off on doing something she knew was bad for her. She kissed her back just as eagerly, just as she had Sebastian. Her hand slid down her body, groping her ass, then her hip before finally sliding between her legs.

"Is this what you want?" she asked, cupping her cunt. "You want to fuck me?"

"Yes," Annette gasped, arching against her.

They were pressed up against one side of the pool, Annette against the wall, Kathryn working her hand against her as the blonde peppered open mouthed kisses against her neck. "What if I told you that's all it would be?"

Annette tilted her head back, her gaze questioning. "What do you mean?"

"I'll fuck you, I'll enjoy it," Kathryn stated plainly, swimming out from under her, "But that's all it can ever be."

"You don't mean that."

"Of course I do. When you left me, it hurt more than anything—worse than Sebastian even. I thought it would kill me, but it didn't. So, I vowed no one would ever hurt me like that again—especially you. Don't you see? We can never be what we once were."

Annette rushed towards her. "Then we can be something different, something better."

Kathryn opened her mouth to object when someone else did it for her.

"Jesus Christ Hargrove, get the hint already. She isn't interested."

They both spun around just as Sebastian emerged from the sauna, a towel slung around his neck. Thankfully, he remembered his bathing suit this time.

Annette rolled her eyes upwards and huffed, "Fuck off military boy, isn't there a maid around for you to molest?"

"Sebastian, how long have you been eavesdropping?"

"Long enough."

"It's a little tacky."

He grinned. "That's funny coming from you." Gripping the towel in both hands, he cockily swaggered towards the edge of the pool. "I hate to bust up this little reunion, but I'd thought you like to know I just hung up with my father. He told me something curious."

Dread gathered in the back of her throat. That was a little too ominous for her liking. "Oh?"

"Yes, it seems the parentals were never due to come down here until tomorrow." He looked at Annette. "Don't you get it? She lured us here on purpose."

Annette blinked, taking this in, then just as quickly dismissed it. "No, she didn't. I followed her down here."

"Uh huh, and who told you she was staying here?"

"Mai-Lei." She winced as soon as the name left her mouth and shook her head. "I'm such an idiot. Of course you were playing me."

"I did no such thing," Kathryn replied primly as she swam to the edge of the pool.

Sebastian watched her as she lifted herself out of the water, clearly trying not to ogle her. "What are you up to?" The question was more curious than accusatory.

"God," Kathryn huffed as she snagged Annette's towel sitting idyll on a deck chair. "You're acting as if I'm holding you hostage. You're both free to go at any time. I don't care."

"She's definitely up to something," Annette remarked, glancing over at Sebastian, ignoring her indignation.

Kathryn saw no reason to continue on with her denial. She'd show her cards—partly.

"Alright, fine. You're right Nancy Drew, I did lure you here on purpose."

"I knew it," Sebastian sighed. "So, what is it, are you going to murder us and bury our bodies in the snow?"

She smiled wanly at the imagery. "Tempting but no. The truth is there was something I needed to tell both of you and I wanted to do it before the festivities began. I was going to wait until after dinner when everyone was significantly drunk, but since you forced my hand here it is: I'm leaving New York."

Sebastian appeared non-plussed. "What, are you going to sun yourself in Bali for the rest of winter break?"

"No, I'm going to France to stay with my father. It's a permanent move. I'm leaving New York for good."


End file.
